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Area Guide

Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI

Providing quality academic opportunities to central Michigan since 1963

Public Suburban SVSU

Though a relatively young institution, Saginaw Valley State University has rapidly built a reputation as an excellent facility and a major contributor to Michigan’s scholarly community. The university is best known for its engineering and business programs, but also oversees robust Colleges of Arts, Education, and Health and Human Services. SVSU’s main campus is located in University Center, an unincorporated community just outside the city of Saginaw. The city center is about six miles south of campus, with the university enjoying a relatively isolated location largely removed from outside distractions. Nearby rentals tend to be fairly affordable, although few apartments, houses, or condos can be found within easy walking distance. Fashion Square Mall and its surrounding shopping centers are very close by, and Downtown Saginaw offers an eclectic selection of restaurants, bars, specialty shops, and arts venues along the riverfront. When you’re craving a change of scenery, Detroit, Chicago, and Toronto are all within weekend trip distance.

Learn More About Saginaw Valley State University

Getting Around

Somewhat Walkable

Walkability

20 / 100

Exceptionally Drivable

Drivability

100 / 100

Fairly Bikeable

Bikeability

50 / 100

Daily Essentials

Supermarket Within a 20 Minute Walk

Groceries

50 / 100

Fair Restaurant Variety Nearby

Restaurants

40 / 100

Fair Café Variety Nearby

Cafes

50 / 100

Limited Variety of Shops Nearby

Shopping

30 / 100

Local Vibe

Calm Atmosphere

Vibrancy

10 / 100

Limited Nightlife Variety Nearby

Nightlife

20 / 100

Not Noisy

Quiet Score

100 / 100

Schools

Great Lakes Bay Early College

Public

Grades 9-12

182 Students

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • William H. Haithco Recreation Area
  • Mid-Michigan Children's Museum
  • Children's Zoo at Celebration Square
  • Delta College Planetarium & Learning Center
  • Veterans Memorial Park

Military Bases

Airports

  • MBS International

Top Apartments Near Saginaw Valley State University

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in June 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.