
Des Moines, IAprivate nonprofitwww.grandview.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 96%–100% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Grand View University is a small, accessible private university in Des Moines where nearly everyone who applies gets in—but where nursing and hands-on programs punch above their weight. With a 98-99% placement rate for grads and a scrappy, community-focused campus vibe, it’s the kind of place where professors know your name and the tuition bill won’t make you faint.
Test-blind — scores not considered
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Grand View University is about as close to open admissions as you can get without officially being open admissions. The Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovers between 98.4% and 99.1%, with men enjoying a 99% acceptance rate specifically. SAT scores for admitted students typically fall between 860–1170, though international students may not need to submit test scores at all. Starting Fall 2026, applicants can apply via the Common App—a new convenience for this historically regional school.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Grand View offers 93 programs, with nursing (88% of majors) and psychology (71%) dominating the popularity contest. The university boasts a 98-99% placement rate for graduates—a stat they’ve maintained for over two decades—with particular strengths in nursing and online programs. Faculty are frequently described as dedicated and accommodating, with small class sizes ensuring personalized attention. The curriculum leans practical, with hands-on learning emphasized across disciplines.
Life at Grand View revolves around its tight-knit community. Housing options range from traditional dorms to apartments, with a YouTube tour showcasing the vibe as "vibrant and close-knit." The campus buzzes with clubs and events—recent highlights include a student trip to South Korea exploring global citizenship. While not a Greek life powerhouse, the university emphasizes leadership development and produces what it calls "well-rounded individuals committed to scholarship."
Graduation rates tell a mixed story: 56% overall, with Pell Grant recipients graduating at 55%. While these numbers sit in the middle of the pack nationally, the near-universal placement rate suggests those who stick around land on their feet. The university doesn’t trumpet elite graduate school placements, but rather steady employment in fields of study—a practical focus befitting its student body.
After aid, the average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. drops to $22,296, with 81% of students receiving financial aid packages averaging $29,690. Transfer students can score up to $21,000 in scholarships. The university provides detailed cost breakdowns—including $968-$2,166 for transportation depending on housing—and offers a net price calculator to demystify expenses. It’s not cheap, but aggressive aid makes it feasible for many.
Grand View’s superpower is accessibility—both in admissions and outcomes. While elite schools flaunt exclusivity, GVU takes nearly everyone and still manages to place almost all graduates in jobs or grad school. The nursing program is a hidden gem, and the Des Moines location offers urban opportunities without cutthroat competition. This is the anti-prestige university: no ivy, no arrogance, just solid results for students who want to learn and work.