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Chester Hunt Law Office, Windham, ConnecticutPhoto: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Colleges in and near Windham

Windham is a college town: 15 of every 100 residents are students

Eastern Connecticut State University (3,923 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Connecticut, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town15% of residents are studentsEastern Connecticut State University

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 Windham. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
29,792 students on campus
Nearest college
2.6 mi
Eastern Connecticut State
Residents in college
15%
Above CT (7%)
Nearest community college
26.3 mi
Connecticut State · $5,338 tuition
Nearest public university
2.6 mi
Eastern Connecticut State · $13,928 in-state
Students on campus in Windham
3,923
next to 24,139 residents

What stands out about college in Windham

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

A college town15 of every 100 Windham residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.A university in WindhamEastern Connecticut State University has 3,923 students on campus in Windham, 58% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Eastern Connecticut StateLiving in Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University charges $13,928 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $17,428. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 26.3 miles awayConnecticut State Community College in New Britain: tuition and fees $5,338 a year for Connecticut residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Windham

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

15 of every 100 Windham residents are in college (CT: 7).

3,923students on campus at Eastern Connecticut State University, next to 24,139 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,479college students live in Windham households rather than dorms
33.7median age · CT 41.1
52%of residents are women · CT 51% (±1.8 points)
53%of homes rented · CT 34%
$1,107median rent · 26% below the state
WindhamWindham, CT
Cost of living$1,107/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesCJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Windham’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 20.8% of Windham residents are below the poverty line, 19.6% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 36% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C+

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 15%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Windham’s median age is 33.7 (Connecticut 41.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Windham

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Windham.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of ConnecticutEastern Connecticut StateWindham
University or collegeCommunity college
Eastern Connecticut State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,923 on campus · In Windham83%admitted$21knet price58%graduate$56kearningsUniversity of ConnecticutUniversity or college · Public · 25,869 on campus · 7.8 mi · Storrs52%admitted$25knet price83%graduate$74kearningsEarnings are reported for all 5 campuses that file with it.

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 Windham’s median household income ($55,736) falls.

Eastern Connecticut State UniversityIn Windham · sticker $31,983$19,340a year
University of Connecticut7.8 mi · Storrs · sticker $39,426$20,608a 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 Windham: 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 →Eastern Connecticut StateUniversity of Connecticut
University of Connecticut83% graduate$74k earnings*$22k typical debt
Eastern Connecticut State University58% graduate$56k earnings$24k 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. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: University of Connecticut (5).

Majors

What students study in Windham

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Eastern Connecticut State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 21%Social sciences 12%Psychology 10%Health professions 9%Communication 7%Liberal arts 6%Everything else 35%

Biggest programs

Psychology, General92 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General63 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities60 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies58 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Criminology56 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General46 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Social Work42 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General38 graduates a year
$93k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Windham

Is Windham a college town?

Yes. 15 of every 100 Windham residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Connecticut. Eastern Connecticut State University has 3,923 students on campus, next to 24,139 residents.

What colleges are in Windham?

Eastern Connecticut State University is inside the town. Connecticut State Community College is 26.3 miles away in New Britain.

Why is Windham’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 20.8% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 19.6% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Windham, and what does it cost?

Connecticut State Community College in New Britain, 26.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,338 a year for Connecticut residents; the federal net price, $11,513, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Eastern Connecticut State University?

Eastern Connecticut State University admitted 83% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,070–1,260 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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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 Windham. 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 →