Calvin College - Overview
Calvin College: A place of "Yes, and..."
Calvin College is a place of "Yes, and ..."
Yes, at Calvin students can have academic excellence and strong Christian faith
Yes, students will have outstanding and accessible professors.
Yes, students will make local connections and have global reach.
Think courageously, believe passionately
At Calvin, no one will ask students to leave their faith at the door when they enter philosophy classrooms or biology labs. In fact, students' professors will challenge them to deepen their faith by tackling big ideas and current issues. It might get messy at times, but students will never be alone as they explore things like:
- Cell research and eco-terrorism
- The effect of social networking on interpersonal relationships
- The role of hip hop music in popular culture
Calvin is a place where students can learn and create knowledge. Together, Calvin students and professors learn to ask thoughtful questions, engage creative solutions and understand deep truths.
Learn from the best
Calvin professors are highly respected in academic circles; dozens of patents carry their names, and they've written textbooks that are widely used. When they're not helping students to brainstorm paper topics or troubleshooting a quiz, they're probably writing books or Emmy-winning screenplays or fussing with molecular tinker toys for $1 million National Science Foundation grants. Last year, Calvin faculty members received $8.7 million in research funding,2 Fulbright Fellowships, and a top poetry prize.
But to Calvin professors, teaching is job #1. Students will spend time with them in class, but professors also set aside 10-15 office hours each week so students can stop by for questions, conversations, or advising.
Don't be surprised if students get invited to participate in the professors' research. Students can imagine working alongside their professors on an archaeological dig in Jordan; on a documentary film about local food production; on research relevant to dry eye disease; or on a study of Christian business ethics. Calvin professors use their expertise and Christian faith to guide classroom discussions, but they won't tell students what to think. Their approach to learning welcomes students while their curiosity inspires students to greater heights.
Become world ready
Calvin's ultimate goal is to launch students into something bigger. Every course, project, or study abroad program is designed to help students think critically and live faithfully -- whether their next steps involve internships, graduate schools, or first jobs.
Students looking for internships can talk about the results of class projects or the initiatives they learned during their studies in Spain. Students applying to medical school can have personal recommendations written by professors who know them well. Students interviewing for their first jobs can point to the journal articles they have co-authored, or the experience they have gained at one of Calvin's partnership organizations, like Van Andel Research Institute or Hospice of Michigan.
Calvin can offer students the kind of Christian education that fills them with a deep sense of purpose -- and makes them exactly the kind of people that publishing companies, churches, schools, and law offices want to hire.
- 99% of the Class of 2010 survey responders reported that they were employed or in graduate school one year after graduation.
- 80% of Calvin students have at least one internship.
Live fully -- and faithfully
Will Calvin be fun for students? Yes, absolutely! And at Calvin, education will also be packed full of meaning. New friends in every class, over 70 student organizations, 21 sports teams, dozens of concerts, films, theatre productions, service learning projects -- even part-time jobs -- help studnets think more deeply about what God is calling them to do in this world.
A Christian college that brings in bands like The Decemberists, Lupe Fiasco, and Ratatat? Yes, Calvin is the kind of place where students can both discern and enjoy popular culture. Calvin's Student Activities Concert Series is so good that it draws standing-room-only crowds, including students from other colleges.
- 70+ student clubs and organizations
- 100+ concerts, films and productions on campus each year
- 21 varsity sports teams
- #7 in the NCAA for Academic All-Americans (since 2000)
Around the corner and across the globe
Calvin will encourage students to stretch themselves, to connect with people who think in different ways and live both nearby and far away. Anyone who comes to Calvin can join the 800+ students who study abroad each year in Calvin's 14 semester programs or 30+ January interim courses. Calvin has earned a place among the top 10 baccalaureate colleges in the US to send students abroad each year. Whether students are paddling through the mangroves off the coast of Thailand or delving into the politics of Ghana, they will learn to step outside their comfort zones and consider how they can build bridges to other people and cultures.
Studying on campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will expand students' mental windows, too. With a new medical school, the world's first LEED-certified art museum and the popular ArtPrize competition, Grand Rapids is a city that is comfortably urban and creatively growing. Calvin students frequent trendy restaurants and coffee shops in Eastown and Cherry Hill. Pre-med and nursing students work on the "Medical Mile," an area filled with new medical and scientific research facilities. Internships of all kinds help build a network of contacts to launch students into promising careers.
Investing in You
Investing in students is Calvin's top priority. Calvin provides more than $65 million in financial aid and scholarships to assist families with college costs. Working together, Calvin can help students of all circumstances and income levels make Calvin educations work for them.
- 92% of Calvin students receive financial aid
- 75% of first-year students receive scholarships
- Renewable academic scholarships range from $1,000-15,000
Majors, Minors, Programs
Calvin's most popular programs include engineering, education, business, communication arts and sciences, pre-med, nursing, and English. Calvin offers over 100 academic options to explore. Students will also find incredible resources to help them explore their gifts and select their courses until they're sure of their next steps.
Calvin is the only Christian college in North America to offer a comprehensive Asian Studies program.