Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Alma

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Alma City HallPhoto: Cushing and Benedict, Alma MI · Public domain
Colleges in and near Alma

Alma is a college town: 18 of every 100 residents are students

Alma College (1,273 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Michigan, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town18% of residents are studentsAlma 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 Alma. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
1,273 students on campus
Nearest college
1.1 mi
Alma College
Residents in college
18%
Above MI (6%)
Nearest community college
16.3 mi
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College · $2,730 tuition
Nearest public university
15.6 mi
Central Michigan University · $14,760 in-state
Students on campus in Alma
1,273
next to 9,304 residents

What stands out about college in Alma

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

A college town18 of every 100 Alma residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.A college in AlmaAlma College has 1,273 students on campus in Alma, 63% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Central Michigan UniversityLiving in Michigan, Central Michigan University charges $14,760 in tuition and fees, the same for every student.A community college 16.3 miles awaySaginaw Chippewa Tribal College in Mount Pleasant: tuition and fees $2,730 a year for Michigan residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Alma

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

18 of every 100 Alma residents are in college (MI: 6).

1,273students on campus at Alma College, next to 9,304 residents (dorm students count as residents)
368college students live in Alma households rather than dorms
33.1median age · MI 40.2
54%of residents are women · MI 50% (±2.3 points)
34%of homes rented · MI 27%
$836median rent · 26% below the state
AlmaAlma, MI
Cost of living$836/mo median rentB+SafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesC+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Alma’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: 20.9% of Alma residents are below the poverty line, 21.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 5 points either way). 13% 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 B+

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 18%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Alma’s median age is 33.1 (Michigan 40.2), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

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 Alma

One private college within 1.1 miles. The nearest public four-year college, Central Michigan University, is 15.6 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miAlma CollegeAlma
University or collegeCommunity college
Alma CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,273 on campus · In Alma57%admitted$21knet price63%graduate$55kearnings

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 $48–75k, where Alma’s median household income ($53,307) falls.

Central Michigan University15.6 mi · Mount Pleasant · sticker $30,681$13,601a year
Alma CollegeIn Alma · sticker $63,650$18,076a 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 →Alma CollegeCentral Michigan University
Central Michigan University59% graduate$56k earnings$27k typical debt
Alma College63% graduate$55k earnings$27k 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 Alma

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

Business 21%Education 13%Psychology 13%Biology 9%Social sciences 9%Parks & recreation 8%Everything else 27%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations29 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods28 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing26 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Psychology, General23 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness22 graduates a year
$64k4 yrs out
Marketing11 graduates a year
$54k4 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 Alma

Is Alma a college town?

Yes. 18 of every 100 Alma residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Michigan. Alma College has 1,273 students on campus, next to 9,304 residents.

What colleges are in Alma?

Alma College is inside the city. Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College is 16.3 miles away in Mount Pleasant.

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

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College in Mount Pleasant, 16.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,730 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $11,949, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Alma College?

Alma College admitted 57% 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 Alma. 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 →