Every student’s K experience is uniquely their own. These fast facts offer a glimpse of the academics, community and opportunities that make that experience possible.
History and Location
- Founded in 1833, among the 100 oldest institutions in the country.
- Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a mid-sized city just 35 miles from Lake Michigan and approximately 140 miles from both Detroit and Chicago.
- Member of Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the oldest collegiate athletics conference in the country.
Academic Experience
- Nationally known for the K-Plan.
- Students can choose from 30 majors, 21 minors and 12 concentrations.
- Strong focus on Experiential Education:
- The majority of K students study abroad, participating in a meaningful, immersive international and intercultural experience in more than 50 programs in more than 25 countries on six continents.
- A majority of students participate in community-based courses and student-led co-curricular programs through community engagement and service-learning projects.
- All students engage in a Senior Integrated Project, an in-depth research or creative project in the senior year.
Student Demographics
- 1,183 students from 28 states and 24 countries
- 64% of students live on campus
- 32% of our student body are domestic students of color
- 25% are first-generation college students
- 32% of students are eligible for Pell Grants
Faculty Information
- 10-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio
- 97% of full-time faculty hold Ph.D. or terminal degree
Tuition and Endowment
- 99% of students receive need-based and/or merit-based financial aid.
- 2026–27 Tuition and Fees: $66,308; Housing and Food: $13,803.
- 100% of admitted students are awarded merit scholarships based on academic achievements. These range between $44,000-$53,000 annually.
- Use our net price calculator for a rough estimate of what a Kalamazoo College education might cost you.
- Endowment: $356,048,993 as of June 30, 2026.
Recognition and Rankings
- K is one of 45 Colleges That Change Lives member institutions. The organization was inspired by the book by Loren Pope, higher education expert and former New York Times education editor, which describes a group of colleges that prioritize mentorship, the liberal arts, and real-world preparation for meaningful lives and careers.
- Kalamazoo College ranks in the top two percent among all U.S. colleges and universities surveyed for the percentage of students ultimately earning a doctorate, according to the National Science Foundation.
- Kalamazoo College has been a top producer for the Fulbright U.S. Student Scholar Program six times since 2020.
- FORBES: #1 private Michigan college in the 2027 America’s Top Colleges list. #48 in the Top Small Colleges list (2027).
- U.S. News & World Report ranks K #3 in Study Abroad, #74 in National Liberal Arts Colleges, #39 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, and #32 in Most Innovative Schools.
- In 2026, Money magazine gave K a four-star rating in Money’s Best Colleges in America 2026 based on quality, affordability and graduate outcomes.
- The Princeton Review includes K in their 2027 lists of The Best 392 Colleges, Best Value Colleges, and Best Midwest.
- WalletHub: Kalamazoo College is Michigan’s top-ranked private college and the No. 2 college overall in the state, according to WalletHub and its 2027 Best Colleges and Universities rankings.
- K is included in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2027, which profiles approximately 300 of the “best and most interesting” four-year colleges and universities of the country’s 2,300 institutions.
- The 2025–26 MIAA Academic Honor Roll recognized 220 Kalamazoo College student-athletes and 19 teams.