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Colleges in and near Olivet

Olivet is a college town: 47 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Olivet (907 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Michigan, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town47% of residents are students

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 Olivet. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
3,048 students on campus
Nearest college
0.3 mi
The University of Olivet
Residents in college
47%
Above MI (6%)
Nearest community college
14.6 mi
Kellogg · $4,118 tuition
Nearest public university
30.5 mi
Michigan State · $16,458 in-state
Students on campus in Olivet
907
next to 1,525 residents

What stands out about college in Olivet

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

A college town47 of every 100 Olivet residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.A university in OlivetThe University of Olivet has 907 students on campus in Olivet, 35% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 14.6 miles awayKellogg Community College in Battle Creek: tuition and fees $4,118 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 Olivet

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

47 of every 100 Olivet residents are in college (MI: 6).

907students on campus at The University of Olivet, next to 1,525 residents (dorm students count as residents)
141college students live in Olivet households rather than dorms
21.2median age · MI 40.2
50%of homes rented · MI 27%
$925median rent · 18% below the state
Cost of living$925/mo median rentA−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundCHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Olivet’s 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: 14.9% of Olivet residents are below the poverty line, 10.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 9 points either way). 41% 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 leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (47% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Olivet’s median age is 21.2 (Michigan 40.2), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

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 Olivet

One private college within 0.3 miles, and Kellogg Community College 14.6 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, Michigan State University, is 30.5 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miKelloggThe University of OlivetOlivet
University or collegeCommunity college
The University of OlivetUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 907 on campus · In Olivet83%admitted$21knet price35%graduate$48kearningsKellogg Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,141 on campus · 14.6 mi · Battle Creek$5knet price30%graduate$38kearningsTuition and fees: $4,118 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

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 Olivet’s median household income ($54,722) falls.

Kellogg Community College14.6 mi · Battle Creek · sticker $12,420 · tuition $4,118$5,816a year
Michigan State University30.5 mi · East Lansing · sticker $32,198$16,521a year
The University of OlivetIn Olivet · sticker $47,069$20,564a 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 →The University of OlivetKelloggMichigan State
Michigan State University81% graduate$67k earnings$23k typical debt
Kellogg Community College30% graduate$38k earnings$17k typical debt
The University of Olivet35% graduate$48k 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 Olivet

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

Business 31%Public safety 16%Parks & recreation 15%Psychology 12%Biology 5%Visual & performing arts 4%Everything else 17%

Biggest programs

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness28 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations26 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Biology, General23 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections21 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Insurance21 graduates a year
$63k4 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 Olivet

Is Olivet a college town?

Yes. 47 of every 100 Olivet residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Michigan. The University of Olivet has 907 students on campus, next to 1,525 residents.

What colleges are in Olivet?

The University of Olivet is inside the city. Kellogg Community College is 14.6 miles away in Battle Creek.

Why is Olivet’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 14.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 10.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 9 points).

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

Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, 14.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,118 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $4,858, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into The University of Olivet?

The University of Olivet admitted 83% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

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 Olivet. 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 →