Enrollment: 1384
Average SAT: 592
Average ACT: 23
Most Popular Majors: Biological and Physical Sciences,Business/Commerce, General,Kinesiology and Exercise Science,
Student Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 5
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $18,287.00

Students Say - Academics
"With its strong academic offerings in economics, political science, business administration, premedical sciences, and education, it's no wonder students brag that "Alma College takes pride in preparing students for graduate/professional school or for entering directly into the work force."" Here "out-of-class experiences account for a good portion of your education,"" as during the month-long spring term which is "designed to encourage overseas travel so [students] are more culturally aware."" Throughout the year, Alma "encourages extracurricular involvement while maintaining academic excellence"" with the goal of encouraging students to "take responsibility, become leaders, and be academically and socially challenged to excel."" The curriculum here stresses a broad liberal arts education: "It's all about preparing well-rounded students, not just those who are experts in one field,"" one student explains. Class sizes "are small enough to have an in-depth discussion,"" and as a result "the one-on-one access to professors is amazing."" One premed student describes the benefits this way: "I'm applying to medical school right now and had no problem coming up with a dozen professors whom I feel know me well enough (academically and personally) to write letters of recommendation."""

Students Say - Campus Life
""Everyone is really involved"" at Alma, with "people generally rushing from one meeting to the next on weeknights. Being at a small school is great because you can be involved in a variety of things and assume leadership positions in several organizations."" Undergrads here "love community service and just getting involved in the community in things such as the after-school program at the elementary school and middle school, Relay for Life, and the community soup kitchen."" The school's popular Greek organizations get in on the act; they "are very service-oriented."" Hometown Alma "is nothing to write home about,"" so "people find creative ways to have fun"" in and around campus. "Fortunately, Mount Pleasant is only fifteen minutes away and Lansing is only forty-five minutes away."""

Students Say - Student Body
"The typical Alma undergrad "is hard-working and studies a lot,"" in part because "most are planning on going on to graduate school and many of those are going into the medical field."" Otherwise, many here agree that "there is not one typical student. One-third of the campus plays sports so you have a lot of jocks. But one-third is also in the arts. The school [has] only 1,300 [students] but for its size there are a lot of people with different interests. The nice thing is that at a small school you can be the football player [who] is in a school theatre production."" The population here ""is very accepting of the relatively large number of sexual minorities"" but ""tends to be very politically liberal, leaving conservatives/libertarians a little left out. Students tend to be accepting of different lifestyles and beliefs on the whole," however."

Albion College
Central Michigan University

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