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Downtown Appleton SkylinePhoto: Jasperthedog28 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Appleton

Appleton is home to Lawrence University

Lawrence University (1,410 students on campus) is inside the city, and Fox Valley Technical College (8,892) is 3.5 miles from the center, just over the line in Grand Chute. About 6% of Appleton’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wisconsin (6%).

Lawrence UniversityFox Valley Technical 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 Appleton. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
10,302 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Lawrence University
Residents in college
6%
About the same as WI (6%)
Nearest community college
3.5 mi
Fox Valley Technical College · $5,040 tuition
Nearest public university
19.2 mi
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh · $8,532 in-state
Median household income
$80K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Appleton

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

Two colleges within 3.5 milesLawrence University admits 64% of applicants. Together they have 10,302 students on campus.A community college 3.5 miles awayFox Valley Technical College in Appleton: tuition and fees $5,040 a year for Wisconsin residents.In-state price at University of Wisconsin-OshkoshLiving in Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh charges $8,532 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $16,446. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 6% of residentsAbout the same as Wisconsin (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Appleton

One private college within 1.3 miles, and Fox Valley Technical College 3.5 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, is 19.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miFox Valley Technical CollegeLawrence UniversityAppleton
University or collegeCommunity college
Lawrence UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,410 on campus · In Appleton64%admitted$23knet price77%graduate$56kearningsFox Valley Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 8,892 on campus · 3.5 mi · Appleton$11knet price65%graduate$46kearningsTuition and fees: $5,040 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 $75–110k, where Appleton’s median household income ($80,483) falls.

Fox Valley Technical College3.5 mi · Appleton · sticker $16,862 · tuition $5,040$14,125a year
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh19.2 mi · Oshkosh · sticker $19,652$16,853a year
Lawrence UniversityIn Appleton · sticker $69,849$20,256a 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 →Lawrence UniversityFox Valley Technical CollegeUniversity of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh46% graduate$56k earnings$22k typical debt
Fox Valley Technical College65% graduate$46k earnings$10k typical debt
Lawrence University77% graduate$56k 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 Appleton

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

Visual & performing arts 23%Biology 16%Psychology 10%Social sciences 8%English 7%Business 7%Everything else 29%

Biggest programs

Music59 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Psychology, General43 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Biology, General36 graduates a year
$38k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government28 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Economics21 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General18 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Fine and Studio Arts15 graduates a year
$44k4 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 Appleton

Is Appleton a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Appleton residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Wisconsin (6). The largest campus in the city, Lawrence University, has 1,410 students on campus.

What colleges are in Appleton?

Lawrence University is inside the city. Fox Valley Technical College is 3.5 miles from the center, in Grand Chute.

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

Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, 3.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,040 a year for Wisconsin residents; the federal net price, $11,407, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh cost if we live in Wisconsin?

Tuition and fees are $8,532 a year in-state and $16,446 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $9,236 (under $30,000 income) to $19,223 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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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 Appleton. 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 →