Albion College

Student Profile

Fall 2015 Enrollment
1,360 undergraduate students
100% of undergrad students are full time
50% male — 50% female
22% of students are from out of state

Faculty Profile

2015-2016 Academic Year
97 full-time faculty
47 part-time faculty
12 to 1 student/faculty ratio

Residence Life

Fall 2015
99% of first year students live on campus
90% of all students live on campus

School Location

Albion, MI

High-Impact Practices

Read more about the importance of High-Impact Practices 

RETENTION FALL 2015

80% of students began in Fall 2014 and returned in Fall 2015 (full time, first time freshmen)

6 YEAR GRADUATION RATE 2015

64% of students graduated in 6 years

ENROLLMENT BY RACIAL/ETHNIC CATEGORY - FALL 2015

Athletics

NCAA Division III, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association; 21 varsity sports (baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, equestrian hunt seat, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, volleyball)

Nickname: Britons
Mascot: Brit
Colors: Purple and gold

More Distinctions

• Albion's education program was one of only two in Michigan to receive a perfect Teacher Preparation Institution score in the Michigan Department of Education's latest report, and Albion ranked first among 33 programs in the state in the percentage of students passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (98%).

• The College's science complex, renovated and expanded in 2006, was awarded silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2007.

• High school counselors ranked Albion 85th among national liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges 2012 Edition.

• In the last two decades, Albion College has produced a Rhodes Scholar, 12 Fulbright award winners, a Goldwater Scholar, a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, four Truman Scholars, three Morris K. Udall Scholars, and a National Institutes of Health scholar.

Discovering, exploring, learning, achieving. At Albion, ideas forge new pathways every day, and those pathways often go in intriguing directions and lead to enlightening experiences.

Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (FURSCA)

Through FURSCA, students build on their studies to discover or create something entirely new. As early as the freshman year, students work with a faculty member to choose a subject, develop a methodology, pursue an interest, interpret findings, and present results. About 50 students each year are chosen for competitive grants to fund their research. Recent funded projects have explored crustaceans in river systems in Suriname, personality differences in investment choices, art and autism, and time-of-day effects on problem-solving, among a host of others.

Elkin R. Issac Student Research Symposium

Student research in virtually every field of academic pursuit reaches its apex each spring during an all-day event in which classes are canceled and students present their findings to the campus community.

Off-Campus Study

Some of the best experiences at Albion happen thousands of miles away from it. The College offers 100 programs in 40 countries on six continents.

Student Farm

A bit closer to home, on the all-natural sustainable farm near campus, students are making people more aware about the origins of their food. This 700-square-foot area (with more than 2.5 acres available for future expansion) offers opportunities for students to plant, grow, tend, and harvest a wide range of naturally grown, pesticide-free produce. Student volunteers handle every aspect of the farm’s operations, and harvested crops are sold to Albion dining halls.

Activities Offered

They’re experts. They’re mentors. They’re listeners.

Every student can pinpoint a professor who has made a significant impact on them. They remember the ones who make personal connections with them, who challenge them, and who make sure that ideas truly click. Professors who make their marks are the ones who inspire different perspectives and push students to become their best selves. At Albion, professors like these are all throughout campus, and teaching above and beyond is a school-wide norm.

Albion professors hold Ph.D.s from Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. Among them are a NASA astrophysicist, an award-winning short story writer, a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow, a Cold War expert and author, a renowned ceramic artist, and an Antarctic researcher. Most important, Albion professors ensure that students get more than a degree. They partner with students to give them a complete understanding of their chosen field, as well as the skills to apply this knowledge in their careers.

At Albion, great teaching is evident in many forms every day. Here are just a few:

First-Year Seminars

Students begin their Albion experience by going beyond the boundaries of a traditional classroom, through studying something truly unique, like The Far Side of Health; Orcs, Elves, and the Environment; or The Physics of Music. In a small class, and with opportunities for travel and field research, students explore areas they might not otherwise.

Institutes and Centers

Albion’s well-established programs in business, policy, health, teaching, and the environment open doors, and students walk through them with confidence, experience, and expertise-ready to succeed. Students apply separately to these programs in addition to their application for admission.

• Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management: The Gerstacker Institute blends the liberal arts with “real world” business education through comprehensive coursework and internships with leading public accounting firms and corporations, as well as nonprofit agencies.
• Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service: The Ford Institute takes public service to new heights with semester-long internships, including placements in locations such as the the U.S. Congress, the Michigan state legislature, and the European Parliament.
• Institute for Healthcare Professions: The Institute is an intellectual community for students pursuing careers within the rapidly changing health care field.
• Fritz Shurmur Center for Teacher Development: The Shurmur Center advances teacher preparation with an interdisciplinary focus, an awareness of current educational issues, and a broad sense of civic responsibility.
• Center for Sustainability and the Environment: The Center encourages students to understand the environment and humans’ place in it through participatory learning, leadership, seminars, and travel experiences.
• Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program: The Brown Honors Program challenges students beyond traditional lecture and laboratory courses with intimate discussion, field trips, retreats, guest lecturers, independent research, and individualized faculty mentoring.

State-of-the-Art Science Facilities

In 2007 the Albion College science complex (expanded and completely renovated in 2006) was awarded silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Students are well equipped with the latest instrumentation in the Dow Analytical Science Laboratory, and also have access to the largest classroom on campus-the 135-acre Whitehouse Nature Center.

Common Core

Class Size Breakdown

In words and actions, through more than 100 student organizations and many other avenues both on and off campus, Albion students are involved students. It’s all part of being a Briton.

Kellogg Center

There’s always something happening at Albion — and it often happens right here. Albion’s version of a student union, it’s the center of campus activity. If people are hanging out, having a club meeting, eating a turkey wrap, buying books, listening to live music, getting their mail, studying together, seeing a comedy show or attending a dance, chances are it’s going on at the KC.

Union Board

The Union Board is a student group dedicated to offering a packed calendar of fun things to do for Albion students. The board brings bands, comedians and other free entertainment to campus; sponsors bowling nights; and organizes trips to out-of-town sporting events, amusement parks, shopping malls, and Broadway-style shows.

Briton Bash

This campus-wide, fall-semester kickoff event on the quad introduces students to the many groups, clubs, and organizations at Albion and includes a picnic dinner. In 2011, the highlight of Briton In 2011, the highlight of Briton Bash was the introduction of Brit, the first athletic mascot in the College’s nearly 180-year history.

Day of Woden

At the other end of the academic year, students on the last Wednesday of spring semester celebrate by kicking back and just having fun (yes, classes are canceled). Everything from laser tag and human bowling to a climbing wall and a sundae bar factor into this Albion tradition.

Equestrian Center

One of the few on-campus equestrian centers in the Midwest. Horse boarding, riding lessons, and training for international equestrian certification take place on 340 acres. The grounds include stables, arenas, classrooms, and individual paddocks and pastures. Students also have an opportunity to join Albion’s intercollegiate equestrian team.

Canoeing on the Kalamazoo River

With the scenic Kalamazoo River at the southern border of our campus, canoeing is a big part of the Albion experience, offering some of the best views of the area. An Albion student ID includes access to unlimited free canoe rentals.

Music Ensembles

Join one of Albion’s eight groups, including the British Eighth marching band, symphony orchestra, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, concert choir, Briton Singers, opera workshop,and women’s chorus.

Spiritual Life

Albion College has a long-standing affiliation with the United Methodist Church, and the College is equally committed to the religious and spiritual beliefs held by students of all faiths.

Campus Housing Options for Undergraduates

An Albion graduate becomes a part of a powerful network of more than 23,000 fellow Britons who work in nearly every career imaginable, stay involved, keep in touch, and support one another.

Albion Advantage

In addition to this network, career readiness at Albion is enhanced by the Albion Advantage, a four-year program of academic and career exploration for students in any major. Beginning with the first semester on campus, students integrate their liberal arts-focused academic work with career preparation, creating a comprehensive life plan. They apply what they learn in the classroom through research experiences with our expert faculty; through internships in business, government, and nonprofit settings; and through involvement in campus organizations. The program culminates in the Albion Advantage Pledge, the College’s assurance that students will have post-graduate support, such as an additional research experience, an internship, or extended career services, if desired, as they pursue their life’s work.

Find out more about the Albion Advantage at www.albion.edu/advantage.

Internships

All Albion students are encouraged to participate in at least one internship. Together with the Career Development Office, students find experiences that provide firsthand knowledge in their field of interest, new insight into day-to-day operations, and access to future job opportunities. In particular, the College has connections to well-established and prestigious internship programs in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

ADMISSIONS

ADMISSIONS FALL 2015

2,803 Total Applicants
2,227 Total Admissions
455 Total Freshmen Enrollment

Selectivity
79.45% of applicants admitted

Admissions Deadlines for 2016-17 Admission

Rolling admission? No

Closing date: Aug 15
Priority date: Feb 1

ADMISSIONS FACTORS

Very Important
Rigor of secondary school record
Academic GPA
Standardized test scores

Important
Class rank

Considered
Application Essay
Recommendation(s)
Interview
Extracurricular activities
Talent/ability
Character/personal qualities
Alumni/ae relation
Geographical residence
State residency
Racial/ethnic status
Volunteer work
Work experience

Freshmen Profile Fall 2015

TUITION AND COSTS

Net Price Calculator

https://www.albion.edu/admission/student-financial-services/net-price-calculator 

TUITION AND COSTS BEFORE FINANCIAL AID 2016-17

FINANCIAL AID

Average Financial Aid Packages 2015-16 ESTIMATED

$36,636 First year students
$27,732 All undergrads

Financial Aid Breakdown 2015-16 ESTIMATED

84% on average, the percentage of need that was met
21% of financial need students that had need fully met

$27,732 Average need-based scholarship or grant award
$5,029 Average need-based loan