2024-2025 Colleges of Distinction badge
Colleges of Distinction: Michigan

Alma College

Alma, Michigan

APPLY NOW
Visit the School Website »

Alma College: Where Plaid Works

SHOW MORE

Alma College is at its best when it’s working with students who don’t have all the answers, but love to ask the questions. A beautiful residential college located in the middle of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Alma College offers an individualized education through which each student is encouraged to identify personal and professional goals as they chart a path for the future. Alma does not prescribe a formula for success; rather, it helps students discover their options and open the right doors. Perhaps the best thing about an Alma College education is its dedication to help students put the ideas and theories that they discuss in the classroom to work in real-world settings. Or maybe it’s the lifelong friendships and amazing memories that are made in the process.

Through the Alma Commitment, faculty work with students to plan a college experience that includes all the classes necessary to graduate on time. The Alma Venture and other college-sponsored grant programs provide up to $2,500 to every student to offset the cost of a personalized experience, such as study abroad, internships, hands-on research or clinical project, and service. Students have practical experiences that look great on their résumés, all while having the time and resources to include other campus opportunities that are important to them (performing arts, athletics, Greek life, etc.).

So what’s all this about plaid? Alma College is home to the Alma Scots. The college is proud of its Scottish heritage and enthusiastically welcomes students from all backgrounds. Driven students are invited to join in the fun of Alma’s Scottish traditions, including the Kiltie Marching Band (in kilts!), Highland dance troupe, and the drum and bagpipe band. Those who come to Alma are quick to love the sound of bagpipes. Go Scots!

Get to know Alma College

1,208
Degree-Seeking Undergraduates
Enrolled female students
52%
 
Enrolled male students
48%
 
Gender Ratio
Full-time students
98%
 
Part-time students
2%
 
Full-time to Part-time Ratio
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Retention rate
Full-time faculty
70%
 
Adjuncts
30%
 
Faculty Ratio
12:1
Student/teacher ratio
$47,160
Full-time tuition cost
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
6-year graduation rate
Rolling
Application deadline
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Acceptance rate
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Out-of-state students
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Full-time faculty w/ terminal degree

Benefits

Student Activities

Student Activities

  • Campus Ministries
  • Choral groups
  • Concert band
  • Dance
  • Drama/theatre
  • International Student Organization
  • Jazz band
  • Literary magazine
  • Marching band
  • Model UN
  • Student government
  • Student newspaper
  • Student-run film society
  • Symphony orchestra
  • Yearbook
SHOW MORE
High-Impact Practices

High-Impact Practices

  • First-Year Seminars and Experiences
  • Common Intellectual Experiences
  • Writing-Intensive Courses
  • Collaborative Assignments and Projects
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Diversity/Global Learning
  • Service-Learning, Community-Based Learning
  • Internships/Coops/Practica
  • Capstone Courses and Projects/Senior Experience
SHOW MORE
Campus Resources

Campus Resources

  • Career Services
  • Writing Center
  • Academic Advisors
  • Library Services
  • Faculty Mentors
  • Disability Services
  • Multicultural Engagement Center
  • Health Services
  • Academic Tutors
  • Financial Aid Advisors
  • Venture Program Guidance and Financing
  • Student Success Initiative
  • Peer Mentors
  • Counseling
  • Gender & Sexuality Center
SHOW MORE
SHOW MORE

What Others are Saying

“Alma helped me realize that there would be a great big world full of many exciting opportunities beyond campus. I received a solid foundation at Alma, both scientifically and personally. Alma’s liberal arts background helped foster a solid knowledge of many areas, not just one track, and I think that propelled me to excel in graduate work and as a professional at CDC. I think the best experiences I have from Alma are the relationships I was able to build. Whether it’s from the friends I made from my classes, various campus activities, choir, or my sorority, I have relationships that continue to this day, and I am incredibly fortunate and grateful for that. Across the miles and years, it’s heartwarming to know Alma is just one of my communities. And it’s a community that I needed as a young adult before making my way into the world.”
— Emily Weston Parker ‘01, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Contact Alma College

Contact Admissions

alma.edu/admissions
(800) 321-2562
admissions@alma.edu

Campus Location

614 W. Superior St.
Alma, MI 48801

(989) 463-7111

Visit Alma Online

alma.edu