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Post Office sign for Ester, Alaska 99725Photo: AnaSoc · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Ester

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is 6.6 miles from Ester

No college sits inside Ester’s boundary, but the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s campus in Fairbanks, with 3,575 students on campus, is 6.6 miles from the center of town. About 10% of Ester’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska (5%).

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Ester. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
3,575 students on campus
Nearest college
6.6 mi
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Residents in college
10%
About the same as AK (5%)
Nearest public university
6.6 mi
University of Alaska Fairbanks · $8,736 in-state
Median household income
$53K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Ester

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A university 6.6 miles awayThe University of Alaska Fairbanks has 3,575 students on campus in Fairbanks, 38% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of Alaska FairbanksLiving in Alaska, the University of Alaska Fairbanks charges $8,736 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,320. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 10% of residentsAbout the same as Alaska (5%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Ester

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Ester.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Alaska FairbanksEster
University or collegeCommunity college
University of Alaska FairbanksUniversity or college · Public · 3,575 on campus · 6.6 mi · Fairbanks$11knet price38%graduate$49kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Ester’s median household income ($53,272) falls.

University of Alaska Fairbanks6.6 mi · Fairbanks · sticker $22,407$11,323a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Ester: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks38% graduate$49k earnings$20k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Questions about college near Ester

Is Ester a college town?

No. About 10 of every 100 Ester residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Alaska (5). The nearest campus, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is 6.6 miles away in Fairbanks.

What colleges are near Ester?

Within 15 miles: the University of Alaska Fairbanks (6.6 miles, 3,575 students on campus).

How much does the University of Alaska Fairbanks cost if we live in Alaska?

Tuition and fees are $8,736 a year in-state and $22,320 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $7,992 (under $30,000 income) to $17,512 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Ester. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →