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University or college · Private nonprofit

Alma College

Alma, MI

Alma College is a private nonprofit college in Alma, MI, with about 1,273 students on campus.

Visit www.alma.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,273
1,235 undergrad · 38 grad
Admission rate
57%
lower than at 79% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$20,694
higher than at 53% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
63%
higher than at 65% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$54,742
higher than at 78% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Alma College

A graduation gap for lower-income students

50% of students with Pell grants finish, against 63% overall, a gap of 13 points. 27% of undergraduates get Pell grants. Outcomes ↓

Few families pay the sticker price

The full cost of a year is $63,650, but the average family on federal aid pays $20,694 after grants, about 67% less. What it costs ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Alma College’s biggest bachelor’s programs, nursing graduates earn a median $80,386 four years out. Teacher education and professional development graduates earn $44,458. Majors ↓

Rent in Alma is below the state median

Median rent in Alma is $836 a month, 26% below the state median. Living in Alma ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
63%
within 6 years · Pell students 50%
Come back for year two
85%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$54,742
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$27,000
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

7.5%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $3,810 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

74%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 90% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$45k
Middle income$30–75k
$57k
Higher incomeover $75k
$56k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Alma College?

57%

of applicants admitted

About 11 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Alma College is likely test-optional.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $63,650 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $49,552Room & board $14,180Books & supplies $2,172

After grants, the average family on aid pays $20,694.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$18,076

About $72,304 over 4 years · 72% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

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

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business Administration, Management and Operations29 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$57k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods28 graduates a year · typical debt $29,000
$44k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing26 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Psychology, General23 graduates a year · typical debt $26,423
$52k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness22 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$64k4 yrs out
Biology, General14 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$24k1 yr out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research12 graduates a year
—not reported
Marketing11 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,148 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 77%Hispanic 4%Black 6%Asian 1%Two or more 3%International 6%

Women and men

Women 53%Men 47%
14 : 1
students per teacher
27%
get Pell grants (lower income)
57%
take federal loans
2%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Alma

18% of Alma’s 9,304 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Alma pages.

Alma →
AlmaAlma, MI
$836/momedian rent · 26% below the state$165Ktypical home valueCSafety Grade16° / 83°January low / July high · 39" of snowC+Health GradeAll colleges in and near AlmaCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Alma College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Central Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Mount Pleasant
15.5 mi11,231 students
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal CollegeCommunity college · Public · Union Township
16.3 mi145 students
Montcalm Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sidney Township
23.2 mi1,229 students
Northwood UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Midland
26.2 mi1,331 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.