Michael Bouman President/COO | National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences
Michael Bouman President/COO | National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences
Of the 12 institutions in the county, six provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Kuyper College, Grace Christian University and Cornerstone University.
At least 11,830 people applied to Kent County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 24,983 students enrolled in the universities, including 23,199 in undergraduate and 1,784 in graduate programs. In total 5.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (61.7%) and Hispanic (12.1%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Grand Rapids Community College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 11,803 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for Calvin Theological Seminary in Kent County.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquinas College | 2,116 | 1,926 | 1,265 |
| Grand Rapids Community College | -- | -- | 11,803 |
| Davenport University | 3,379 | 3,345 | 5,073 |
| Cornerstone University | 1,926 | 1,579 | 1,781 |
| Grace Christian University | 293 | 293 | 1,031 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Kentwood | -- | -- | 116 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Grand Rapids | -- | -- | 110 |
| Ross College-Grand Rapids North | -- | -- | 228 |
| Calvin Theological Seminary | -- | -- | -- |
| Calvin University | 4,079 | 3,018 | 3,231 |
| Kuyper College | 37 | 28 | 82 |
| Empire Beauty School-Michigan | -- | -- | 263 |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
!RECEIVE ALERTS
DONATE
Alerts Sign-up