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Saginaw Valley State University: Saginaw Valley State University breaks ground on medical facility (4323595978)
Photo: Saginaw Future Inc., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, MI · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $10,775 a year

Median debt at graduation: $25,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.48%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.78%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,052 · ACT 22
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,060

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$9,844
$30,001–$48,000$19,711
$48,001–$75,000$20,053
$75,001–$110,000$18,879
Over $110,000$24,103

Full cost of attendance before aid: $24,936 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
6,184
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 37% · Women 63%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
33%
Total students6,889
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$10,775
Cost of attendance (per year)$24,936
Median federal debt at graduation$25,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
48%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
39%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
37%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
49%
First-year retention78%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$51,955
Admission rate72%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $851 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants35%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 920–1170ACT 18–26
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1052
SAT reading & writing480–600
SAT math440–570
ACT composite18–26
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 25% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computing and information science$90,681
Electrical engineering$90,482
Mechanical engineering$83,873
Nursing$81,103
Computer Systems Analysis$72,888
Accounting$72,171
Rehabilitation and therapy$70,081
Clinical laboratory science$65,826
Finance$65,610
Business administration$65,594
Criminal justice$59,042
Marketing$58,783
Social work$56,961
Liberal arts$55,558
English$55,302
Biology$54,038
Communication studies$53,825
Pre-health$53,376
Writing and rhetoric$50,875
Kinesiology and exercise science$50,816
Special education$50,078
Psychology$50,066
Secondary education$49,761
Teacher education$48,561
Business (general)$47,065
History$42,803
Fine arts$42,270
Design$41,864

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Applied mathematics, Basic Skills and Developmental/Remedial Education, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Education (general), General studies, Geography, Global studies, Industrial technology, Interdisciplinary studies, International business, International relations, Management science, Managerial economics, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Other biological and biomedical sciences, Other business, management, marketing, and related support services, Other physical sciences, Other visual and performing arts, Physics, Political science, Pre-law and legal studies, Public administration, Public health, Romance languages, Sociology, Theatre.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions22%
Business17%
Education12%
Public administration and social service6%
Psychology5%

Campus life

School colors
SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates12%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older11%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,340
SportsNCAA Division II · Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member16 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 7%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time42%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$17,100IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 39% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceMBS International Airport (MBS)About 6 miles away · about 25 minutes by car
Nearest major airportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)About 95 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreDetroitAbout 89 miles away · about 2 hours 5 minutes by car
Typical weather23°F in January · 72°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Saginaw Mbs International Airport, MI, about 6 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.150.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary1.610.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Saginaw Valley State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Saginaw Valley State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $10,775 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Saginaw Valley State University?
Saginaw Valley State University admitted 72% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Saginaw Valley State University’s graduates do?
48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $51,955; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

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