Chicopee is home to College of Our Lady of the Elms
College of Our Lady of the Elms (1,066 students on campus) is inside the city, and Western New England University (3,362) is 4.9 miles from the center, just over the line in Springfield. About 4% of Chicopee’s residents are enrolled in college, below Massachusetts (8%).
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 Chicopee. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
14
54,759 students on campus
Nearest college
2.8 mi
College of Our Lady of the Elms
Residents in college
4%
Below MA (8%)
Nearest community college
4.3 mi
Holyoke · $5,988 tuition
Nearest public university
11.9 mi
Westfield State · $12,179 in-state
Median household income
$63K
prices below start here
What stands out about college in Chicopee
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
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 Chicopee’s median household income ($62,615) falls.
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 Chicopee: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst83% graduate$72k earnings$23k typical debt
Westfield State University54% graduate$57k earnings$22k typical debt
Western New England University64% graduate$73k earnings$26k typical debt
Springfield Technical Community College32% graduate$37k earnings$7k typical debt
Smith College89% graduate$64k earnings$18k typical debt
Springfield College74% graduate$48k earnings*$26k typical debt
Holyoke Community College29% graduate$37k earnings$8k typical debt
Mount Holyoke College84% graduate$58k earnings$23k 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: Springfield College (2).
Majors
What students study in Chicopee
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at College of Our Lady of the Elms, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing104 graduates a year
$98k4 yrs out
Social Work44 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Psychology, General27 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services22 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections9 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Health and Medical Administrative Services7 graduates a year
$63k4 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 Chicopee
Is Chicopee a college town?
No. About 4 of every 100 Chicopee residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Massachusetts (8). The largest campus in the city, College of Our Lady of the Elms, has 1,066 students on campus.
What colleges are in Chicopee?
College of Our Lady of the Elms is inside the city. Western New England University is 4.9 miles from the center, in Springfield, Springfield Technical Community College is 4.6 miles from the center, in Springfield, and Holyoke Community College is 4.3 miles from the center, in Holyoke.
What is the closest community college to Chicopee, and what does it cost?
Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, 4.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,988 a year for Massachusetts residents; the federal net price, $8,068, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does Westfield State University cost if we live in Massachusetts?
Tuition and fees are $12,179 a year in-state and $18,259 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $10,751 (under $30,000 income) to $23,286 (over $110,000), housing and food included.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
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 Chicopee. 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 →
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0