More selective than 88% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $63,650. College Scorecard.
Higher than 67% of Michigan colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 58% of Michigan colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Alma College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,975 applicants, Alma College admitted 2,610 and 346 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Alma College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Alma College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Alma College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Michigan. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,162 | $72,424 | 3.4 years |
| $30–48k | $18,009 | $75,998 | 3.6 years |
| $48–75k | $18,076 | $76,281 | 3.6 years |
| $75–110k | $18,699 | $78,910 | 3.7 years |
| $110k+ | $23,618 | $99,668 | 4.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($54,742) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,331 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Alma College majors, earnings & careers
Alma College offers 44 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Business & Finance · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Alma College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $80,386 | — |
| Accounting | $77,001 | — |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $63,641 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $57,287 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $53,947 | — |
| Marketing | $53,871 | — |
| Psychology | $52,280 | $26,423 |
| English | $48,445 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 44 majors
- Accounting$77,001
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Biotechnology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$57,287
- Chemistry—
- Communications$53,947
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$44,458
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering Science—
- English$48,445
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$63,641
- Marketing$53,871
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$80,386
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$52,280
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Sociology and Anthropology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Alma
2 bedrooms $1,018.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 35 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Gratiot County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Gratiot County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Alma College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Michigan by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma College | 57% | $20,694 | 63% | $54,742 | This school |
| Lawrence Technological University | 56% | $32,918 | 61% | $69,151 | |
| Spring Arbor University | 52% | $19,353 | 64% | $51,732 | |
| Madonna University | 63% | $17,755 | 60% | $59,058 | |
| Northwood University | 65% | $27,232 | 63% | $63,075 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Alma College would cost you $12,224 less per year than Lawrence Technological University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Alma College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$4,792).
- Alma College gives aided families $17,708 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | Alma College | Lawrence Technological University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $49,552 | $44,760 | +$4,792 |
| Books & supplies | $850 | $1,762 | −$912 |
| Housing & meals | $13,128 | $11,670 | +$1,458 |
| Personal & travel | $2,532 | $5,150 | −$2,618 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,412 | −$5,176 | +$2,764 |
| Sticker price | $63,650 | $58,166 | +$5,484 |
| Average grants | −$42,956 | −$25,248 | −$17,708 |
| You pay | $20,694 | $32,918 | −$12,224 |
“+” means Alma College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Alma College
What is the Alma College acceptance rate?
Alma College accepts 57% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,610 of 3,975 applicants were admitted.
How much does Alma College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $63,650 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,694 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,162 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,618.
How much do Alma College graduates earn?
Former Alma College students earn a median $54,742 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Alma College graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
How long does a Alma College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Alma College costs about $76,281 after grants ($18,076 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,742 ten years after starting, $21,331 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 3.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Alma College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/alma-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).