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Kirkland Town Hall New YorkPhoto: kenneth c zirkel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Kirkland

Kirkland is a college town: 24 of every 100 residents are students

Hamilton College (2,048 students on campus) is inside the town. Across New York, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town24% of residents are studentsHamilton 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 Kirkland. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
5
11,316 students on campus
Nearest college
1.5 mi
Hamilton College
Residents in college
24%
Above NY (7%)
Nearest community college
6.7 mi
Saint Elizabeth College of Nursing · $20,180 tuition
Nearest public university
10.5 mi
SUNY Polytechnic Institute · $8,625 in-state
Students on campus in Kirkland
2,048
next to 9,804 residents

What stands out about college in Kirkland

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

A college town24 of every 100 Kirkland residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.A college in KirklandHamilton College has 2,048 students on campus in Kirkland, 91% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 6.7 miles awaySaint Elizabeth College of Nursing in Utica: tuition and fees $20,180 a year for New York residents.In-state price at SUNY Polytechnic InstituteLiving in New York, SUNY Polytechnic Institute charges $8,625 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $21,215. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Kirkland

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

25 of every 100 Kirkland residents are in college (NY: 7).

2,048students on campus at Hamilton College, next to 9,804 residents (dorm students count as residents)
350college students live in Kirkland households rather than dorms
38.3median age · NY 39.8
42%of homes rented · NY 46%
$1,087median rent · 33% below the state
KirklandKirkland, NY
Cost of living$1,087/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Kirkland’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income B+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 6.8% of Kirkland residents are below the poverty line, 6.6% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 11% 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 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 24%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Kirkland’s median age is 38.3 (New York 39.8), 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 Kirkland

Three private colleges within 7 miles, one public college within 10.5 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miMohawk ValleyUtica UniversityHamilton CollegeKirkland
University or collegeCommunity college
Hamilton CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,048 on campus · In Kirkland14%admitted$29knet price91%graduate$78kearningsSaint Elizabeth College of NursingCommunity college · Private nonprofit · 146 on campus · 6.7 mi · Utica100%admitted$72kearningsUtica UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,130 on campus · 7 mi · Utica92%admitted$19knet price56%graduate$63kearningsMohawk Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,194 on campus · 8.8 mi · Utica$9knet price38%graduate$40kearningsTuition and fees: $6,218 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.SUNY Polytechnic InstituteUniversity or college · Public · 1,798 on campus · 10.5 mi · Utica81%admitted$14knet price55%graduate$64kearnings

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 Kirkland’s median household income ($82,926) falls.

Mohawk Valley Community College8.8 mi · Utica · sticker $16,656 · tuition $6,218$13,405a year
SUNY Polytechnic Institute10.5 mi · Utica · sticker $23,741$15,876a year
Utica University7 mi · Utica · sticker $37,205$20,217a year
Hamilton CollegeIn Kirkland · sticker $84,230$20,614a 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 Kirkland: 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 →Hamilton CollegeUtica UniversityMohawk ValleySUNY Polytechnic Institute
Mohawk Valley Community College38% graduate$40k earnings$11k typical debt
Utica University56% graduate$63k earnings$22k typical debt
Hamilton College91% graduate$78k earnings$17k typical debt
SUNY Polytechnic Institute55% graduate$64k earnings$17k 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 Kirkland

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

Social sciences 30%Biology 16%Computer science 8%Psychology 6%Visual & performing arts 6%Math & statistics 5%Everything else 30%

Biggest programs

Economics97 graduates a year
$131k4 yrs out
Mathematics53 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government30 graduates a year
$88k4 yrs out
International Relations and National Security Studies25 graduates a year
$65k4 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 Kirkland

Is Kirkland a college town?

Yes. 24 of every 100 Kirkland residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across New York. Hamilton College has 2,048 students on campus, next to 9,804 residents.

What colleges are in Kirkland?

Hamilton College is inside the town. Saint Elizabeth College of Nursing is 6.7 miles away in Utica.

Why is Kirkland’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 6.8% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 6.6% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

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

Saint Elizabeth College of Nursing in Utica, 6.7 miles away. Tuition and fees are $20,180 a year for New York residents.

How hard is it to get into Hamilton College?

Hamilton College admitted 14% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,450–1,550 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 Kirkland. 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 →