Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 70/100

Alma College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Alma, Michigan

About Alma College

Thinking about Alma College, a college in Michigan where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Alma College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Alma, Michigan. It enrolls 1,148 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
57%
Graduation
56.4%
Net Price
$20,694
Median Earnings (10yr)
$54,742
Enrollment
1,148
Student : Faculty
14:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar 4-1-4 Plan

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 63
Value 48
Affordability 41
Selectivity 78

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Alma College admits 57% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
57%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Alma College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 3.3 pts since 2019
62.4%201966.7%202068.8%202164.7%202265.7%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $20,694 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$20,694
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
27%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
57%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$49,552
Room & Board (on-campus)
$14,180
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,888
Books & Supplies
$2,172
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,980
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,980
Total Cost of Attendance
$63,650

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $17,162
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $18,009
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $18,076
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $18,699
  • Over $110,000
    $23,618

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$5,500
10% percentile
$9,500
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$28,500
75% percentile
$38,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $26,702 ↓ $298
No Pell $21,500 ↓ $5,500
Dependent students $23,250 ↓ $3,750
Independent students $13,750 ↓ $13,250
Female students $25,000 ↓ $2,000
Male students $21,500 ↓ $5,500
Pell recipients: 20.3% (5,474 students)No Pell: 16.3% (4,408 students)Dependent students: 17.7% (4,766 students)Independent students: 10.4% (2,819 students)Female students: 19.0% (5,125 students)Male students: 16.3% (4,408 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,000, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

56% of students who start here finish within six years, and 81% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
56%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
81%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,742 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$54,742
Earning > $25K
82%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$44,000$47,000$50,000$53,000$56,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$42,800

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$51,900

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$38,600

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$47,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$48,300

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,100, about 18% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 18.4 pts across 6 years
74.4%1yr79.5%3yr86%5yr92.8%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 93% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,148 students, a small, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
1,148
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
24%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 77.4% 888
Black 6.0% 69
International 5.7% 65
Hispanic 3.6% 41
Other 3.1% 36
Asian 0.9% 10
White: 77.4% (888 students)Black: 6.0% (69 students)International: 5.7% (65 students)Hispanic: 3.6% (41 students)Other: 3.1% (36 students)Asian: 0.9% (10 students)Total1,148

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Alma College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Distant Alma, Michigan
Housing
Strongly residential 1,314 beds for 1,148 students
Adult Learners
2% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
4-1-4 Plan scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Alma College offers a varied set of programs: 34 distinct programs across 16 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

5 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program
4 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$188M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$64,328
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

87 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 20 23% $81,464
Associate Professors 27 31% $64,510
Assistant Professors 24 28% $54,354
Instructors 8 9% $61,270
Lecturers 8 9% $53,846

Pros & Cons of Alma College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Alma College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • High published cost of attendance before aid
Best for: Based on the data, Alma College is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Alma College

The questions families ask most about Alma College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Alma College hard to get into?
Admissions at Alma College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 57%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Alma College?
57% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Alma College cost?
Budget around $20,694 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Alma College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,742 a year against a net price of $20,694, about 2.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Alma College known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Alma College graduates earn?
About $54,742 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Alma College accredited?
Yes. Alma College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Alma College?
1,148 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Alma College?
56% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Alma College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Alma College located?
Alma College is located in Alma, Michigan.
What programs does Alma College offer?
34 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Alma College?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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