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Eugene P. Robertson HouseEugene P. Robertson House · Photo: kennethaw88 · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Albion

Albion is a college town: 24 of every 100 residents are students

Albion College (1,354 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Michigan, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town24% of residents are studentsAlbion College

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 Albion. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
2,246 students on campus
Nearest college
0.7 mi
Albion College
Residents in college
24%
Above MI (6%)
Nearest community college
19.1 mi
Jackson College · $7,350 tuition
Nearest public university
36.4 mi
Michigan State · $16,458 in-state
Students on campus in Albion
1,354
next to 7,474 residents

What stands out about college in Albion

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

A college town24 of every 100 Albion residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.A college in AlbionAlbion College has 1,354 students on campus in Albion, 62% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 19.1 miles awayJackson College in Jackson: tuition and fees $7,350 a year for Michigan residents.In-state price at Michigan StateLiving in Michigan, Michigan State University charges $16,458 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $43,842. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Albion

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

24 of every 100 Albion residents are in college (MI: 6).

1,354students on campus at Albion College, next to 7,474 residents (dorm students count as residents)
239college students live in Albion households rather than dorms
25.8median age · MI 40.2
40%of homes rented · MI 27%
$775median rent · 31% below the state
Cost of living$775/mo median rentA−SafetyCrime reported to the FBID−HealthCDC estimatesDJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Albion’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 23.4% of Albion residents are below the poverty line, 24.1% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 7% 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 A−

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 24%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health D

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Albion’s median age is 25.8 (Michigan 40.2), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D−

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 Albion

Two private colleges within 10.8 miles. The nearest public four-year college, Michigan State University, is 36.4 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miAlbion CollegeSpring Arbor UniversityAlbion
University or collegeCommunity college
Albion CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,354 on campus · In Albion81%admitted$14knet price62%graduate$59kearningsSpring Arbor UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 892 on campus · 10.8 mi · Spring Arbor · mostly online52%admitted$19knet price64%graduate$52kearnings63% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.

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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Albion’s median household income ($39,885) falls.

Albion CollegeIn Albion · sticker $69,986$9,772a year
Michigan State University36.4 mi · East Lansing · sticker $32,198$10,830a year
Spring Arbor University10.8 mi · Spring Arbor · mostly online · sticker $44,703$15,697a 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: 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 →Albion CollegeSpring Arbor UniversityMichigan State
Michigan State University81% graduate$67k earnings$23k typical debt
Albion College62% graduate$59k earnings$27k typical debt
Spring Arbor University64% graduate$52k earnings$26k 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.

Majors

What students study in Albion

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Albion College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 15%Biology 14%Parks & recreation 13%Social sciences 11%Communication 10%Psychology 9%Everything else 29%

Biggest programs

Biology, General35 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness31 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas21 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Economics17 graduates a year
$66k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies16 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services16 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services10 graduates a year
$78k4 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 Albion

Is Albion a college town?

Yes. 24 of every 100 Albion residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Michigan. Albion College has 1,354 students on campus, next to 7,474 residents.

What colleges are in Albion?

Albion College is inside the city. Jackson College is 19.1 miles away in Jackson.

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

Jackson College in Jackson, 19.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $7,350 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $7,761, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Albion College?

Albion College admitted 81% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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 Albion. 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 →