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Big Rapids, Michigan 2009Photo: brewbooks · CC BY-SA 2.0
Colleges in and near Big Rapids

Big Rapids is a college town: 42 of every 100 residents are students

Ferris State University (8,338 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Michigan, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town42% of residents are studentsFerris State University

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 Big Rapids. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
8,338 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Ferris State
Residents in college
42%
Above MI (6%)
Nearest community college
36.3 mi
Montcalm · $4,662 tuition
Nearest public university
0.8 mi
Ferris State · $14,778 in-state
Students on campus in Big Rapids
8,338
next to 8,623 residents

What stands out about college in Big Rapids

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

A college town42 of every 100 Big Rapids residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.A university in Big RapidsFerris State University has 8,338 students on campus in Big Rapids, 47% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Ferris StateLiving in Michigan, Ferris State University charges $14,778 in tuition and fees, the same for every student.A community college 36.3 miles awayMontcalm Community College in Sidney: tuition and fees $4,662 a year for Michigan residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Big Rapids

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

42 of every 100 Big Rapids residents are in college (MI: 6).

8,338students on campus at Ferris State University, next to 8,623 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,686college students live in Big Rapids households rather than dorms
22.9median age · MI 40.2
58%of homes rented · MI 27%
$929median rent · 18% below the state
Big RapidsBig Rapids, MI
Cost of living$929/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesBJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Big Rapids’ other numbers

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

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 34.7% of Big Rapids residents are below the poverty line, 23.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 8 points either way). 67% 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 leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (42% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Big Rapids’ median age is 22.9 (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 Big Rapids

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Big Rapids.

5 mi10 mi15 miFerris StateBig Rapids
University or collegeCommunity college
Ferris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 8,338 on campus · In Big Rapids91%admitted$9knet price47%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. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Big Rapids’ median household income ($43,858) falls.

Ferris State UniversityIn Big Rapids · sticker $27,048$4,315a 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 within 15 miles of Big Rapids: 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 →Ferris State
Ferris State University47% graduate$55k earnings$21k 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 Big Rapids

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

Business 19%Engineering tech 17%Health professions 16%Public safety 7%Liberal arts 5%Visual & performing arts 5%Everything else 31%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations171 graduates a year
$64k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections164 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing97 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians86 graduates a year
$92k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians84 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out
Design and Applied Arts83 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Graphic Communications62 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods62 graduates a year
$45k4 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 Big Rapids

Is Big Rapids a college town?

Yes. 42 of every 100 Big Rapids residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Michigan. Ferris State University has 8,338 students on campus, next to 8,623 residents.

What colleges are in Big Rapids?

Ferris State University is inside the city. Montcalm Community College is 36.3 miles away in Sidney.

Why is Big Rapids’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 34.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 23.2% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 8 points).

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

Montcalm Community College in Sidney, 36.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,662 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $7,280, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Ferris State University?

Ferris State University admitted 91% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 890–1,120 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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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 Big Rapids. 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 →