City Town Info

Alma College

Alma College

Alma College was established in 1886 by Michigan Presbyterians. The sprawling college campus occupies 100 acres of land in Alma, Michigan. This private liberal arts institute offers bachelor’s degrees in arts, science, fine arts, and music. Students can choose from over 20 academic programs in the fields of biology, health science, education, business administration, and psychology, among others. Several pre-professional programs are also available.

The athletics department of Alma College sponsors men’s and women’s teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The teams are nicknamed the Scots, and they participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III, and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Overview of Alma College

The campus of Alma is in Alma, MI, which is a town not particularly near any major cities. Its Presbyterian Church (USA) nature is one of the defining aspects of the school. Alma is a private, not-for-profit institution. Degrees at the school include, at the school's highest level, the Bachelor's degree.

Areas of Study

Alma has a greater breadth of degree programs (majors) than most colleges of its size. The school is known for its programs in medicine, media, music, science, mathematics, art studies, and drama and performing arts.

Alma Selectivity

Admission at Alma is selective, not open to all who apply. Three quarters of students in 2007 had SAT verbal scores of at least 498. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 520 and 668. Many applicants are from out of state, an indication of the quality or special character of the school.

Faculty

The school has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at Alma is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.

Student Body

In 2007, the school had 1,355 students enrolled (1,318 full-time equivalent).

Student Life

Alma has a residential or campus feel. The school offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. Alma values student athletics, and belongs to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

The school reports its educational mission is:
"Alma College's mission is to prepare graduates who think critically, serve generously, lead purposefully and live responsibly as stewards of the world they bequeath to future generations."

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Alma

Alma College
614 W Superior
Alma, MI 48801-1599
General Phone: (989) 463-7111
http://www.alma.edu

Alma Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts70history, English, Spanish language, political science, economics, sociology, international relations, French language, ...
Business And Management42business management, international business
Science34biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics
Medicine21health professions
Therapy And Counseling17psychology
Media15communication studies, digital communications
Education And Teaching10elementary school teaching
Art Studies7art studies
Music7music, various music studies
Drama And Performing Arts7drama
Mathematics6mathematics
Religion And Philosophy4philosophy, religion
Computer Science And Engineering1computer and info science, webmastering
Conservation And Resource Management0environmental studies
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy0athletic trainer

Number of programs and degrees for Alma in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree24134

Alma Student Body

In 2007, Alma had a total enrollment of 1,355 students (1,318 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men47%
Women53%
Full-Time100%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate100%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White93%
Black2%
Hispanic2%
Asian1%
American Indian0%
Unknown1%
(Foreign Students)1%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 182%
18-1947%
20-2138%
22-2411%
25-291%
30-340%
35-390%
40-490%
50-640%

Alma Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time83 %

Alma Room and Board (2007)

Alma offers campus housing for 1,209 of its 1,318 (full-time) students.

(Please refer to our profile of Alma, Michigan for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Michigan Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

Alma Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total2,0441,59778%43027%
Men86966977%20430%
Women1,17592879%22624%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal498665
SAT Math520668
SAT Writing503623
ACT Verbal2026
ACT Math2026
ACT Composite2127

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Rankrequired
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrequired
Recommendationsrecommended
Formal Demonstration of Competencerecommended
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT7%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT99%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required
Other Standardized Testsnot required

Alma Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 23,688
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 23,688
Room and board$ 7,774
Room charge$ 3,830
Board (meal plan) charge$ 3,944
Books and supplies$ 700
Other expenses$ 1,472

Financial Aid:
Alma participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 223600)

Alma Faculty

Alma has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured3721
Non-tenured, but on tenure track68
Non-tenured and not on tenure track54

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year25$78,24914$61,294
Associate professoracademic year12$60,9377$54,609
Assistant professoracademic year9$50,6879$48,364
Instructoracademic year2*3$40,027
All faculty totalacademic year48$67,65433$54,416

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Alma Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
FootballMichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
BasketballMichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
BaseballMichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
TrackMichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Alma Degree Programs (2007)

ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Business Administration and Management, General
International Business/Trade/Commerce

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Studies

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Elementary Education and Teaching

LIBERAL ARTS
Anthropology
Anthropology, Other
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
French Language and Literature
German Language and Literature
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
Museology/Museum Studies
Political Science and Government, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

MEDIA
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia

MEDICINE
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other

MUSIC
Music, General
Music, Other

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Athletic Training/Trainer

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Physics, General

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Psychology, General

Alma Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Alma Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 3%Alma Dorm rooms per full-time student
% of degrees in mathematics
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%Alma % of degrees in mathematics
% of degrees in science
(vs. all colleges)
Top 9%Alma % of degrees in science
% of degrees in music
(vs. all colleges)
Top 11%Alma % of degrees in music
% of degrees in drama and performing arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 12%Alma % of degrees in drama and performing arts
% of degrees in medicine
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 13%Alma % of degrees in medicine
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 13%Alma Salaries of full-time faculty
% of degrees in art studies
(vs. all colleges)
Top 13%Alma % of degrees in art studies
% of degrees in liberal arts
(colleges not offering open-admission)
Top 16%Alma % of degrees in liberal arts
Student SAT scores
(vs. all colleges)
Top 17%Alma Student SAT scores
% of degrees in media
(vs. all colleges)
Top 20%Alma % of degrees in media
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 20%Alma Number of degree programs
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Presbyterian Church (USA) affiliation
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
NCAA athletic conference member

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