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Central National BankCentral National Bank · Photo: Zeugzeug · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Alva

Alva is a college town: 22 of every 100 residents are students

Northwestern Oklahoma State University (1,435 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Oklahoma, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town22% of residents are studentsNorthwestern Oklahoma 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 Alva. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
1,435 students on campus
Nearest college
0.5 mi
Northwestern Oklahoma State
Residents in college
22%
Above OK (6%)
Nearest community college
76.2 mi
Northern Oklahoma College · $5,083 tuition
Nearest public university
0.5 mi
Northwestern Oklahoma State · $5,970 in-state
Students on campus in Alva
1,435
next to 4,880 residents

What stands out about college in Alva

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

A college town22 of every 100 Alva residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.A university in AlvaNorthwestern Oklahoma State University has 1,435 students on campus in Alva, 30% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Northwestern Oklahoma StateLiving in Oklahoma, Northwestern Oklahoma State University charges $5,970 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $11,664. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 76.2 miles awayNorthern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa: tuition and fees $5,083 a year for Oklahoma residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Alva

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

22 of every 100 Alva residents are in college (OK: 6).

1,435students on campus at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, next to 4,880 residents (dorm students count as residents)
645college students live in Alva households rather than dorms
28.3median age · OK 37.0
50%of homes rented · OK 34%
$877median rent · 14% below the state
Cost of living$877/mo median rentBSafetyCrime reported to the FBIBHealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Alva’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 25.8% of Alva residents are below the poverty line, 17.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 8 points either way). 72% 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 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 22%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Alva’s median age is 28.3 (Oklahoma 37.0), 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 Alva

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

5 mi10 mi15 miNorthwestern Oklahoma StateAlva
University or collegeCommunity college
Northwestern Oklahoma State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 1,435 on campus · In Alva65%admitted$10knet price30%graduate$44kearnings

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 Alva’s median household income ($40,709) falls.

Northwestern Oklahoma State UniversityIn Alva · sticker $18,672$7,828a 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 Alva: 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 →Northwestern Oklahoma State
Northwestern Oklahoma State University30% graduate$44k 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 Alva

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

Business 18%Health professions 13%Parks & recreation 12%Education 11%Psychology 9%Liberal arts 7%Everything else 31%

Biggest programs

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other41 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing40 graduates a year
$85k4 yrs out
Agricultural Business and Management31 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations27 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities23 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections22 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas19 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Psychology, General19 graduates a year
$42k4 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 Alva

Is Alva a college town?

Yes. 22 of every 100 Alva residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Oklahoma. Northwestern Oklahoma State University has 1,435 students on campus, next to 4,880 residents.

What colleges are in Alva?

Northwestern Oklahoma State University is inside the city. Northern Oklahoma College is 76.2 miles away in Tonkawa.

Why is Alva’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 25.8% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 17.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 8 points).

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

Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, 76.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,083 a year for Oklahoma residents; the federal net price, $5,625, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Northwestern Oklahoma State University?

Northwestern Oklahoma State University admitted 65% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 803–1,036 on the SAT.

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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 Alva. 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 →