Calvin College

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School Location

Calvin College

3201 Burton SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

General information

(616) 526-6000

Type of institution:	Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Federal Aid:	Institution has a Program Participation Agreement with the US Department of Education for eligible students to receive Pell Grants and other federal aid.
Degrees offered:	Bachelor degrees, Masters degrees, First-Professional degrees
Carnegie classification:	Baccalaureate Colleges--Arts & Sciences
Number of students:	4,224 (2007)
2009-2008 Undergraduate application fee:	$ 35

About this School

Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of historic Christianity. Calvin College is named after John Calvin, the 16th century reformer at the center of the Reformation movement.

History

The college and seminary were formed by the Christian Reformed Church for the purpose of training church ministers, with seven students enrolled in the first year. The initial six-year curriculum included four years in the Literary department and two years in the Theological department. In 1894 students who were not pre-theological students were admitted to an expanded curriculum, and thus the school became a type of preparatory school or academy. In 1900 the curriculum was further broadened and made more attractive to students interested in teaching or in preparing for preprofessional courses in the universities. By 1906 the Literary Department, which provided the four years of preparatory and two years of college work, became known officially as the John Calvin Junior College. The two-year college in time became a four-year college, and the preparatory department was discontinued. In 1917 the college established a campus on Franklin Street in Grand Rapids, where it remained until the 1960s. The first Bachelor of Arts degree from Calvin College was awarded in 1921. Although the school grew slowly in its early years, by 1930 it had reached its pre-World War II size of 350-450 students. By 1950 the enrollment had climbed to 1,270. Over the years from 1962-1973, the college migrated to a larger campus built on the site of the Knollcrest farm in southeast Grand Rapids. During the latter decades of the 20th century, Calvin grew to over 4000 students, where the enrollment has remained since. The college contains 7 residence halls: Boer-Bennink Hall, Beets-Veenstra Hall, Bolt-Heyns-Timmer Hall, Kalsbeek-Huizenga Hall, Noordewier-Vander Werp Hall, Rooks-Van Dellen Hall, and Schultze-Eldersveld Hall. The curriculum has expanded to include professional training in a variety of fields, but the college maintains a strong commitment to a liberal arts curriculum, which the college views as a means to develop students' understanding of God's world and their place in it. The Calvin collegiate sports teams are known as the Knights. The name is attributed to references to the "Calvin-ites" when the nascent sports teams played with no official nickname, with the first reference to the "Calvin Knights" appearing in 1926-27. The traditional rivalry the school enjoys with nearby Hope College, rooted in their closely linked heritages as well as geography, continues to be one of the defining intercollegiate rivalries in western Michigan. The school made national headlines in 2005 when US President George W. Bush served as commencement speaker. While most of the community was supportive, a significant number of faculty and students protested his speaking--some in opposition to the administration's policies, while others were concerned over the politicization of the event. Some protested by wearing stickers with the phrase "God is not a Democrat ... or a Republican" to the commencement. This has given Calvin a reputation for having more liberal students and faculty than most evangelical colleges. However, this minority does not reflect the leanings of the majority of students, alumni and faculty.

Tuition and Fees	2009-2008	2008-2007	2007-2006
Academic year prices for full-time, first-time undergraduate students
In-State	$ 23,165	$ 21,685	$ 20,470
Out of State	$ 23,165	$ 21,685	$ 20,470
Books and Supplies	$ 860	$ 810	$ 760
On-Campus
Room and board	$ 7,970	$ 7,460	$ 7,040
Other Expenses	$ 1,915	$ 1,825	$ 1,740
Off Campus
Room and board	$ 5,650	$ 5,460	$ 5,180
Other Expenses	$ 3,310	$ 3,175	$ 3,010
Off Campus w/ family
Other Expenses	$ 3,315	$ 3,175	$ 3,010

Financial aid 2006-2007

Financial aid to full-time, first-time undergraduate students

Type of Aid	Percentage of students receiving aid	Average amount of aid they received
Federal Grants (scholarship/fellowship)	16%	$ 3,999
State/Local grants (scholarship/fellowship)	47%	$ 2,450
Institutional grants (scholarship/fellowship)	95%	$ 7,916
Loans to students	60%	$ 6,885

End of file for Calvin College.