Calvin College, founded in 1876, is a comprehensive Christian liberal arts college. It is an institution of higher learning of the Christian Reformed Church, and was named in honor of the 16th century Protestant Reformer, John Calvin. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the college offers enrollment to more than 4,000 students every year. The campus covers 390 acres of land.
Calvin College offers more than 100 academic options to choose from. Students can enroll for majors or minors in areas of study such as accounting, music, education, engineering, business, arts, sciences, nursing, mathematics and statistics, computer science, dance, medieval studies, international relations, and writing.
Calvin College’s athletics department fields a large number of collegiate sports teams that are known as the Knights. The Knights participate in basketball, cross country, swimming & diving, golf, soccer, tennis, volleyball, track & field, lacrosse, and ice hockey. The teams have won a number of national championships over the years.
Calvin is located in Grand Rapids, MI (a medium-sized city). The school is a Christian Reformed Church school. Calvin is a private, not-for-profit institution. The highest degree level offered by the school is the Master's degree.
Calvin has a greater breadth of degree programs (majors) than most colleges of its size. The school is known for its programs in science, mathematics, art studies, and liberal arts.
Calvin does not offer open admission. Three quarters of students in 2007 had SAT verbal scores of at least 530. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 540 and 650. Many applicants are from out of state, an indication of the quality or special character of the school.
The school maintains a faculty/student ratio (full-time) which is better than most colleges. Calvin has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at the school is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.
Calvin had 4,224 enrolled students in 2007.
Full-time students are the norm at the school. Calvin has a residential or campus feel. The school offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. Calvin offers students meal plans. The school values student athletics, and belongs to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
More complete details are provided below.
Calvin College
3201 Burton SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
General Phone: (616) 526-6000
http://www.calvin.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 194 | English, interdisciplinary studies, Spanish language, history, political science, economics, sociology, international relations, ... |
| Business And Management | 112 | business management, accounting, business communications, MIS, business administration |
| Science | 91 | biology, biochemistry, chemistry, geology, biotechnology, physics, biological and physical sciences |
| Education And Teaching | 67 | elementary school teaching, curriculum and instruction, special ed, science teaching |
| Engineering | 64 | engineering |
| Therapy And Counseling | 60 | psychology |
| Nursing And Emergency Medicine | 58 | various nursing |
| Family And Social Work | 41 | social work, public administration |
| Nutrition And Exercise Therapy | 39 | health and physical education, parks and recreation studies, occupational therapy |
| Media | 30 | mass communication, communication studies |
| Art Studies | 26 | art studies |
| Medical Support And Technology | 19 | speech pathology |
| Mathematics | 19 | mathematics |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 18 | computer science |
| Religion And Philosophy | 17 | philosophy, religion |
| Photography And Commercial Art | 16 | film studies, cinematography |
| Music | 10 | music, voice, music performance |
| Conservation And Resource Management | 4 | environmental science |
| Fine Arts | 4 | art history and criticism |
| Drama And Performing Arts | 1 | drama |
| 0 |
Number of programs and degrees for Calvin in 2007:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 878 | 60 |
| Master's degree | 12 | 1 |
In 2007, Calvin had a total enrollment of 4,224 students (4,109 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 46% |
| Women | 54% |
| Full-Time | 100% |
| Part-Time | 0% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 95% |
| Graduate | 5% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 82% |
| Black | 2% |
| Hispanic | 2% |
| Asian | 3% |
| American Indian | 0% |
| Unknown | 3% |
| (Foreign Students) | 8% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 2% |
| 18-19 | 43% |
| 20-21 | 40% |
| 22-24 | 11% |
| 25-29 | 1% |
| 30-34 | 0% |
| 35-39 | 0% |
| 40-49 | 0% |
| 50-64 | 0% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 89 % |
| Part-Time | 100 % |
Calvin offers campus housing for 2,400 of its 4,109 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of Grand Rapids, Michigan for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Michigan Colleges).
The school offers students a meal plan with 21 meals per week.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,277 | 2,169 | 95% | 1,039 | 48% |
| Men | 973 | 923 | 95% | 482 | 52% |
| Women | 1,304 | 1,246 | 96% | 557 | 45% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 530 | 650 |
| SAT Math | 540 | 650 |
| ACT Verbal | 22 | 29 |
| ACT Math | 22 | 28 |
| ACT Composite | 23 | 28 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | required |
| Class Rank | recommended |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | required |
| Recommendations | required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | not required |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 36% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 77% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
| Other Standardized Tests | not required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 21,685 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 21,685 |
| Room and board | $ 7,460 |
| Books and supplies | $ 810 |
| Other expenses | $ 1,825 |
Financial Aid:
Calvin participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 224100)
Calvin has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 136 | 47 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 58 | 41 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 22 | 15 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 114 | $74,213 | 26 | $71,516 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 50 | $63,787 | 30 | $61,368 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 49 | $54,140 | 45 | $55,106 |
| Instructor | academic year | 3 | $44,230 | 2 | * |
| All faculty total | academic year | 216 | $66,829 | 103 | $60,823 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Basketball | Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Baseball | Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
| Track | Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association |
ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
Business/Corporate Communications
Management Information Systems, General
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Science
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Curriculum and Instruction
Elementary Education and Teaching
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
Special Education and Teaching, General
ENGINEERING
Engineering, General
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Public Administration
Social Work
FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
LIBERAL ARTS
American History (United States)
Asian Studies/Civilization
Classical/Ancient Mediterranean/Near Eastern Studies & Archaeology
Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics, Other
Development Economics and International Development
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
European History
French Language and Literature
Geography
German Language and Literature
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
Latin Language and Literature
Modern Greek Language and Literature
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General
MEDIA
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Mass Communication/Media Studies
MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist
MUSIC
Music Performance, General
Music, General
Voice and Opera
NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nursing, Other
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Health and Physical Education, General
Occupational Therapy/Therapist
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Film/Cinema Studies
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies
SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biotechnology
Chemistry, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
Physics, General
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets Calvin Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 6% | ![]() |
| Dorm rooms per full-time student (vs. all colleges) | Top 9% | ![]() |
| Faculty/student ratio (full-time) (vs. all colleges) | Top 12% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in mathematics (vs. all colleges) | Top 16% | ![]() |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 16% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in art studies (vs. all colleges) | Top 16% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in engineering (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in science (vs. all colleges) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in liberal arts (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| % of full-time faculty on tenure track (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| Male % of student body (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 19% | ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 20% | ![]() |
Notable:
Christian Reformed Church affiliation
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
Remedial classes for students
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army)
NCAA athletic conference member
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