Grand Rapids Reporter

College tuition fees rose 2.5% in Kent County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $17,723 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $437 more than the previous school year.

Among the 11 institutions in the county, Calvin University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $38,620. Aquinas College followed with an average of $37,280 per year. Grand Rapids Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $7,966.

At the time, a total of $44.3 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Kent County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $12.4 million.

Currently there are 11 higher education institutions in Kent County, including Cornerstone University, Paul Mitchell the School-Grand Rapids, and Kuyper College.

Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.

According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.

Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.

Institution	Number of Students Receiving Grants	Total Amount of Grants Received	Average Amount of Grant Per Student	Number of Students Receiving Loans	Total Amount of Loans Received	Average Amount of Loans Per Student
Ross College-Grand Rapids North	179	$992,445	$5,544	165	$1,309,920	$7,939
Calvin University	616	$16,748,276	$27,189	226	$1,798,048	$7,956
Kuyper College	0	$0	$0	0	$0	$0
Aquinas College	307	$8,915,746	$29,042	167	$1,366,273	$8,181
Grand Rapids Community College	690	$3,421,493	$4,959	240	$926,469	$3,860
Davenport University	459	$7,362,961	$16,041	275	$3,270,486	$11,893
Cornerstone University	285	$4,950,968	$17,372	159	$1,526,865	$9,603
Empire Beauty School-Michigan	101	$500,894	$4,959	98	$728,966	$7,438
Grace Christian University	82	$825,321	$10,065	54	$355,478	$6,583
Ross Medical Education Center-Kentwood	94	$522,139	$5,555	101	$1,033,398	$10,232
Paul Mitchell the School-Grand Rapids	5	$23,275	$4,655	8	$74,665	$9,333