Holyoke Community College (2,424 students on campus) is inside the city, and Mount Holyoke College (2,210) is 4.6 miles from the center, just over the line in South Hadley. About 3% of Holyoke’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 Holyoke. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
14
54,759 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Holyoke
Residents in college
3%
Below MA (8%)
Nearest community college
1.3 mi
Holyoke · $5,988 tuition
Nearest public university
9.6 mi
Westfield State · $12,179 in-state
Median household income
$54K
prices below start here
What stands out about college in Holyoke
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 Holyoke’s median household income ($53,605) 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 Holyoke: 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 Holyoke
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Holyoke Community College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Health professions 17%Liberal arts 14%Public administration 13%Business 13%Family sciences 7%Visual & performing arts 5%Everything else 32%
Biggest programs
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities122 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations62 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing52 graduates a year
$84k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections23 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians18 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Biology, General18 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Social Work16 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General14 graduates a year
$51k4 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 Holyoke
Is Holyoke a college town?
No. About 3 of every 100 Holyoke residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Massachusetts (8). The largest campus in the city, Holyoke Community College, has 2,424 students on campus.
What colleges are in Holyoke?
Holyoke Community College is inside the city. Mount Holyoke College is 4.6 miles from the center, in South Hadley.
What is the closest community college to Holyoke, and what does it cost?
Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, 1.3 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 Holyoke. 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