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Plymouth NHPhoto: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Plymouth

Plymouth is a college town: 34 of every 100 residents are students

Plymouth State University (3,606 students on campus) is inside the town. Across New Hampshire, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town34% of residents are studentsPlymouth 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 Plymouth. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
3,606 students on campus
Nearest college
2.1 mi
Plymouth State
Residents in college
34%
Above NH (6%)
Nearest community college
21 mi
Lakes Region · $6,720 tuition
Nearest public university
2.1 mi
Plymouth State · $14,626 in-state
Students on campus in Plymouth
3,606
next to 6,721 residents

What stands out about college in Plymouth

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

A college town34 of every 100 Plymouth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.A university in PlymouthPlymouth State University has 3,606 students on campus in Plymouth, 52% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Plymouth StateLiving in New Hampshire, Plymouth State University charges $14,626 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $25,566. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 21 miles awayLakes Region Community College in Laconia: tuition and fees $6,720 a year for New Hampshire residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Plymouth

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

34 of every 100 Plymouth residents are in college (NH: 6).

3,606students on campus at Plymouth State University, next to 6,721 residents (dorm students count as residents)
676college students live in Plymouth households rather than dorms
24.6median age · NH 43.3
54%of residents are men · NH 50% (±3.3 points)
44%of homes rented · NH 27%
$1,108median rent · 26% below the state
PlymouthPlymouth, NH
Cost of living$1,108/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Plymouth’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: 18.9% of Plymouth residents are below the poverty line, 12.9% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 8 points either way). 56% 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 C

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 (34% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Plymouth’s median age is 24.6 (New Hampshire 43.3), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

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 Plymouth

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

5 mi10 mi15 miPlymouth StatePlymouth
University or collegeCommunity college
Plymouth State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,606 on campus · In Plymouth88%admitted$19knet price52%graduate$57kearnings

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 $75–110k, where Plymouth’s median household income ($77,027) falls.

Plymouth State UniversityIn Plymouth · sticker $29,644$21,157a 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 Plymouth: 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 →Plymouth State
Plymouth State University52% graduate$57k 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 Plymouth

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

Business 26%Parks & recreation 10%Public safety 10%Health professions 9%Education 8%Psychology 6%Everything else 32%

Biggest programs

Business/Commerce, General86 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods56 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections56 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness48 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Psychology, General46 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other42 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Marketing42 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing30 graduates a year
$86k4 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 Plymouth

Is Plymouth a college town?

Yes. 34 of every 100 Plymouth residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across New Hampshire. Plymouth State University has 3,606 students on campus, next to 6,721 residents.

What colleges are in Plymouth?

Plymouth State University is inside the town. Lakes Region Community College is 21 miles away in Laconia.

Why is Plymouth’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 18.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.9% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 8 points).

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

Lakes Region Community College in Laconia, 21 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,720 a year for New Hampshire residents; the federal net price, $13,124, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Plymouth State University?

Plymouth State University admitted 88% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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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 Plymouth. 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 →