Kalamazoo, Michigan Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan: median public in-state tuition $15,252 (+176.7% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $59,576 (+9.6% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 91.1% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $26,038 (+96.2% vs U.S.) 18,714 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 5 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 18,714 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $15,252 (+176.7% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $59,576 (+9.6% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 91.1% (+3.1 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $15,273 (+53.2% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $26,038 (+96.2% vs U.S. $13,271); regional median $14,211
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 66.8%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 82.8%
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Overview
Colleges and universities in Kalamazoo serve students across Michigan with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 5 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 18,714 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $15,252. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Kalamazoo, Michigan and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Kalamazoo vs Michigan & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo, Michigan | $15,252 | $15,273 | $26,038 | 66.8% | 18,714 |
| Michigan (state median) | $5,445 | $7,368 | $13,000 | 56.0% | 368,613 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Kalamazoo, Michigan vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo, Michigan | $59,576 | 91.1% | 82.8% | 3.6% | — | 76.4% | 0.44 |
| Michigan (state median) | $55,123 | 91.3% | 78.1% | 5.5% | — | 69.5% | 0.46 |
| United States | $54,384 | 88.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Michigan (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo, Michigan | $15,252 | $15,273 | $26,038 | 66.8% | 18,714 | $59,576 | 91.1% |
| Ann Arbor | $17,736 | $16,694 | $16,405 | 70.4% | 42,746 | $69,862 | 91.7% |
| East Lansing | $16,458 | $19,680 | $9,833 | 80.7% | 41,771 | $67,253 | 93.6% |
| Detroit | $19,655 | $15,898 | $17,125 | 66.9% | 27,730 | $53,493 | 89.2% |
| Grand Rapids | $24,466 | $17,707 | $21,389 | 61.9% | 20,279 | $48,449 | 89.9% |
| Dearborn | $9,604 | $5,076 | $18,375 | 37.6% | 14,595 | $59,649 | 88.1% |
| Warren | $14,063 | $10,522 | $9,500 | N/A | 14,113 | N/A | N/A |
| Rochester Hills | $22,229 | $15,288 | $23,612 | 50.8% | 13,143 | $53,660 | 89.8% |
| University Center | $8,875 | $7,661 | $17,989 | 48.2% | 12,562 | $51,955 | 93.3% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 | $54,384 | 88.0% |
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 76.0%, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 57.6%, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 92.8%, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 89.4%, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
Top 2 most selective colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 75.3%, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 84.6%, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $86,401, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $72,008, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $117,826, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $102,825, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $46,137, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $45,356, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $56,248, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $48,394, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $65,590, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $53,562, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $184,726, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $168,800, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Top 2 most affordable colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $15,273, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
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Rank 2, Net Price, $19,072, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
Top 2 colleges in Kalamazoo, Michigan by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 84.5%, Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 81.1%, Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
In-state tuition: Kalamazoo, Michigan vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Kalamazoo, Michigan median in-state tuition is $15,252, +176.7% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Kalamazoo, Michigan vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Kalamazoo, Michigan is $26,038 (+96.2% vs U.S. median $13,271). Regional median: $14,211.
Median earnings (10 years out): Kalamazoo, Michigan vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Kalamazoo, Michigan center around $59,576 (+9.6% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Kalamazoo, Michigan vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 91.1% at the median Kalamazoo, Michigan campus (+3.1 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Kalamazoo, Michigan median public in-state tuition is $15,252, about +176.7% vs the national median. Versus the Great Lakes region, tuition is +171.2%.
Median graduate debt is $26,038 (+96.2% above the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Kalamazoo, Michigan are $59,576, about +9.6% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).
The median campus reports 91.1% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (+3.1 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 82.8% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 3.6% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 76.4% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Western Michigan University (92.8%), Kalamazoo College (89.4%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Kalamazoo, Michigan is 66.8% (national institution average about 50.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Kalamazoo?
This city profile covers 5 campuses in Kalamazoo, Michigan with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Kalamazoo?
Median in-state tuition in Kalamazoo is $15,252 and median net price is $15,273. For Michigan overall, medians are $5,445 and $7,368; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,969.
What do graduates earn in Kalamazoo?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Kalamazoo is $59,576 vs $55,123 for Michigan and $54,384 nationally.
What is student debt like for Kalamazoo colleges?
Median completer debt in Kalamazoo is $26,038 vs $13,000 for Michigan and $13,271 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Kalamazoo?
Top campuses on this page include Kalamazoo College (graduation) and Kalamazoo College (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Kalamazoo?
Among 5 College Scorecard campuses in Kalamazoo, Michigan, none are flagged as HBCUs or tribal colleges in IPEDS, and none meet our 25% Hispanic-enrollment HSI proxy or report a religious affiliation in IPEDS.
Sources & related
- Michigan college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON