Category: News Releases

News Releases

Kalamazoo College’s Brighter Light Campaign Raises Over $200 Million

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Campaign exceeds $190 million fundraising goal

The Brighter Light Campaign, Kalamazoo College’s largest-ever fundraising campaign, has come to an end, raising a total of $203,236,489 from more than 16,500 donors.

Launched publicly in 2021, the campaign originally set out to raise $150 million to support “Brighter Opportunities, Brighter Minds, and Brighter Experiences” for K students through scholarships, faculty support, funding for study abroad and other curricular and co-curricular experiences, athletics and campus improvements.

In 2023, the College received an anonymous $30 million gift in support of residential life and student success programs—the biggest single gift commitment in the institution’s history. With the announcement of the gift, the College marked its 190th anniversary by expanding its campaign goal to $190 million—a goal the institution has successfully surpassed.

“I am so profoundly grateful to the thousands of members of the K community and beyond who have given so generously to the Brighter Light Campaign,” said President Jorge G. Gonzalez. “This historic achievement—the largest fundraising effort in K’s history—shows that our community believes in the exceptional education that Kalamazoo College delivers to our students. The campaign’s success will support the College in implementing its strategic plan and enable K students and alumni to bring a brighter light to the world—today and for years to come.”

With gifts ranging from $5 to $30 million, generous alumni, parents and friends, along with numerous foundations and corporations, were instrumental in strengthening K’s ability to improve student experiences and campus facilities. Some of the funding highlights include:

  • More than $81 million in scholarships to help K create Brighter Opportunities for more students, regardless of need.
  • Investments in Brighter Minds—including five new and augmented endowed faculty chairs, faculty development funds, and endowed support of experiential learning centers and programs—to ensure K’s tradition of exceptional undergraduate teaching and mentorship continues.
  • Gifts for athletics and arts programs, along with support for several critical campus projects, including construction of the natatorium, renovations to Stetson Chapel, modernized classrooms, and a new roof for Dow Science Center—that are helping to create Brighter Experiences for K students.  
  • More than $89 million for the College’s endowment, providing vital support not only for today, but for generations of students to come.

Karen Isble, vice president for College Advancement, shared, “The success of the Brighter Light Campaign has been the result of the efforts of many colleagues—current and past—and countless hours by the dedicated volunteers who help us engage alumni and encourage giving each year. Today, we celebrate the thousands of K alumni and friends who have chosen to invest in Kalamazoo College through their philanthropy.”

Kalamazoo College announced Monday that it had raised more than $200 million in the Brighter Light Campaign.
President Gonzalez speaks at the Brighter Light Campaign celebration
President Jorge G. Gonzalez speaks at the Brighter Light Campaign celebration.
“The opportunities here are endless and extraordinary scholarship is expected, encouraged, and most importantly, supported,” President’s Student Ambassador Max Rhames ’25 said at the Brighter Light Campaign event. “While we have seen the numerical value of your philanthropy here today, the ultimate return on investment is incalculable.”

K Joins Network Focused on First-Generation Student Success

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The FirstGen Forward Network—an organization that partners with colleges and universities, philanthropists, businesses and the public sector to catalyze first-generation student success in higher education—has selected Kalamazoo College to be among its newest members this year.

K joins 80 new members and more than 400 other institutions nationwide in their commitment to first-generation student success by boosting student experiences, enhancing academic and co-curricular outcomes, and building more inclusive institutional environments.

The recognition stems from a host of services the College offers first-generation students, which include:

  • The Career Launch Internship Prep Program (CLIPP), which guides students from their first-year through their senior year and empowers them to take control of their career paths.
  • Dinners and group discussions that help build networking opportunities while bolstering success in higher education.
  • A welcome event during Orientation that allows new students to hear from continuing first-generation students who speak about their K experiences.
  • A chance to participate in events related to National First-Generation Day, marking the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The legislation expanded college opportunities for first-generation populations.
First-Generation Student Success Panel at Orientation
A panel of first-generation students welcomed more first-generation students to Kalamazoo College during Orientation in September 2024.

Additionally, a portion of a historic $30 million gift received by the College in 2023 will be used to coordinate campus efforts and focus on a student success model that includes a full-time staff member dedicated to providing support for first-generation students. Currently, 22% of K’s student body identify as first-generation college students, with recent incoming classes ranging from 25–30% first-generation. Understanding how K can best adapt to meet the needs of first-generation students as the population continues to grow at the College and nationally, while providing an environment where they can thrive and achieve their educational goals, has been an on-going strategic goal for the College.

“A Kalamazoo College education provides our graduates with many benefits, skills and experiences that help them lead successful and meaningful lives,” Associate Vice President for Student Development Brian Dietz said. “Ensuring that each one of our students prospers from the full array of these benefits is critical to the work we do as a College, and understanding the unique experiences of our first-generation college students enhances this work. Being a member of the FirstGen Forward Network gives us access to evidence-based practices and resources, and enables us to better identify, understand, and most importantly, remedy the challenges which hinder first-gen students from realizing all they want to achieve at K and beyond.”

College Raptor Honors K as a Gem for Academics, Athletics

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For the second year in a row, Kalamazoo College has been selected as a Hidden Gem by College Raptor, a planning platform that helps students and families find college matches driven by algorithms to find their best-fit schools at the best price.  

This selection—which places K among the top 15 institutions in the Great Lakes Region of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana—recognizes the College as one of the best in the country based on a combination of factors including retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity and other key metrics as reported through the National Center for Education Statistics. 

“For students seeking the enriching experience of a smaller college with exceptional programs, institutions like K emerge as prime options, and we are honored to spotlight them with the recognition they genuinely deserve,” College Raptor co-founder and CEO William Staib said. 

College Raptor also ranks K 11th in the country among 25 Hidden Gems for Division III athletics. To qualify for either list, an institution must receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offer at least five unique majors and have an acceptance rate of at least 10%. 

College Raptor’s full methodology is outlined on its website. 

Stetson Chapel in fall for College Raptor story
College Raptor places Kalamazoo College among the top 15 institutions overall in the Great Lakes Region of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, and rates K 11th nationally for opportunities in Division III athletics.

Kalamazoo College Named Among Nation’s Best Colleges in WSJ College Pulse Ranking 2025, Forbes Top Colleges

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Kalamazoo College is ranked among the Best Colleges in the WSJ College Pulse Ranking 2025. The prestigious honor is presented by The Wall Street Journal, College Pulse and Statista, the leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The honors were announced on September 4, 2024, and can be viewed on the WSJ website.

The Best Colleges in the U.S. ranks undergraduate institutions by the value they provide to their students. This value is assessed based on the learning environment, years to pay off the net price, degree completion rates, the likelihood of higher salaries post-graduation, and diversity. The results are derived from official data from the U.S. Department of Education and the Census Bureau, along with a nationwide survey of around 110,000 undergraduate students and recent alumni who graduated within the past five years.  

WSJ, College Pulse rates K among nation's top colleges
Kalamazoo College is ranked among the Best Colleges in the WSJ College Pulse Ranking 2025.

The survey, conducted by College Pulse in cooperation with The Wall Street Journal and Statista, covered topics like career preparation, learning opportunities, and campus life. The ranking combines students’ experience in a learning environment with an exhaustive analysis of student outcomes.   

Kalamazoo College also recently made Forbes’ 2024–2025 list of America’s Top Colleges, based on return on investment, average student debt levels and outcomes for their graduates. Their list of 500 colleges and universities highlight schools that produce “successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt,” according to Forbes. 

Princeton Review Ranks K Among Best Colleges

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The Princeton Review has once again placed Kalamazoo College among the top 15 percent of America’s four-year colleges and universities by featuring K in the 2025 edition of its annual guide, The Best 390 Colleges.  

The education services company selects its list from the nation’s 2,600 four-year institutions based on data it collects from administrators about their academic offerings and surveys of students who rate and report on their experiences.   

Students lauded K through surveys as a place where they develop personal relationships with their peers and faculty at a campus run by and for the students. In addition, students can quickly find their niche upon arriving thanks to a small-school environment where “everyone is always engaged in some kind of work they truly care about,” the book says.  

The Best 390 Colleges does not provide individual rankings for the schools featured, but compliments K for its offerings.  

Princeton Review Best Colleges Graphic shows Light Fine Arts Center
The Princeton Review is rating Kalamazoo College among the best in the country in the book “The Best 390 Colleges.”

“We salute Kalamazoo College for its outstanding academics, and many other impressive offerings,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 390 Colleges. “We recommend it as an ideal choice for students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college.” 

The College is also listed among Princeton Review’s Best Midwest Colleges and Best Value Colleges.  

The printed publication is now available through the Penguin Random House website. K’s profile is available for free online along with the list of the 390 top schools. 

Track and Field Program Receives $100,000 Gift

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Kalamazoo College Athletics has received a $100,000 gift from Gene ’76 and Joann Bissell to support the relaunching of men’s and women’s track and field at the College.

The couple are making the gift in memory of Joann Bissell’s father, George Stewart, an avid cross country and track and field fan.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Bissells for helping us turn our dream to restart track and field into a reality,” said Director of Athletics Jamie Zorbo ’00. “This program will enhance our ability to recruit student-athletes to K while providing exciting new opportunities for our current student-athletes.”

Gene Bissell was a political science major at K who went on to earn his MBA from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. He retired as president and CEO of AmeriGas Propane, Inc. and has served in many capacities on public company and nonprofit boards. Bissell has been a lifelong supporter of Kalamazoo College, both philanthropically and as a Trustee of the College, having served as a member of the Board from 2003–19. He currently serves as a member of the leadership committee for the Brighter Light Campaign, which will conclude this fall.

Graphic of hurdles on a track reads, "Coming to K, 2025-26: Track and Field"
Gene ’76 and Joann Bissell are supporting the relaunching of men’s and women’s track and field at Kalamazoo College through a $100,000 gift.

“We are thrilled that K is bringing back track and field,” said Bissell. “We also appreciate the opportunity to honor Joann’s father with a contribution to a sport he loved.”

Bissell’s father-in-law, George Stewart, developed his love for track and field as a quarter-miler in high school and as a devotee of the heroes of this sport as they competed in New York, Penn Relays and elsewhere. He passed this love along to many of his children and grandchildren, who have competed and coached at the scholastic, collegiate and open level, and who are grateful for this opportunity to continue his legacy of support to Kalamazoo College students.

Track and field will begin in the 2025–26 academic year and will be led by current cross country coach Kyle Morrison. The program will bring K’s total number of varsity athletics teams to 22.

Trout Unlimited Communication Director to Speak at Convocation

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Nicholas Gann ’12 will deliver the keynote at Kalamazoo College’s 2024 Convocation on Thursday, September 12, at 3 p.m. on the Quad.

Throughout jobs as wide-ranging as substitute teacher in Detroit, laborer at a maraschino cherry manufacturing facility, political researcher, roofer, public relations, and tourism manager, and in environments as different as the forests of northern Michigan, the big sky of Montana, the hustle and bustle of Chicago, and the wild west of Wyoming, Gann has recognized how his liberal arts education at K prepared him by developing an open mind, critical thinking skills, and a deep curiosity.

Gann graduated from K with a B.A. in political science and has worked in Montana with Project Vote Smart, a non-partisan candidate research nonprofit; in Chicago with ASGK Public Strategies (later Kivvit, now Avoq), including work on projects for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Fortune 500 companies; and as strategic partnerships manager for the Wyoming Office of Tourism, where he  organized more than a dozen state and federal agencies to develop a shared responsible recreation campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic, and served as part of the larger agency efforts led by the executive director to help Wyoming weather the economic and tourism effects better than many other states.

Since 2022, Gann has worked as a communications director for Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit dedicated to conservation of freshwater streams, rivers and associated habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species and people. The organization’s mission is “to bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon.”

Convocation marks the start of the academic year and formally welcomes the matriculating class of 2028 into the Kalamazoo College community. President Jorge G. Gonzalez, Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students J. Malcolm Smith, Provost Danette Ifert Johnson, Director of Admission Shannon Milan, Chaplain Elizabeth Candido, the Convocation speaker, faculty, staff and President’s Student Ambassadors will welcome students and their families. All students, families, faculty and staff are invited to attend in person or via livestream.

Trout Unlimited Communication Director Nichols Gann
Nicholas Gann hikes in the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, near Centennial, Wyoming, October 15, 2021. Gann ’12 will deliver the keynote at Convocation on Thursday, September 12, at 3 p.m. on the Quad. Photo by David Lienemann.

College Raptor Ranks K Among Top 25 in Midwest

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College Raptor—a web-based organization dedicated to helping students and families find their best-fit institution of higher education—has chosen Kalamazoo College as one of the top 25 schools in the Midwest regardless of size or public/private status. 

The list of schools, which places K at No. 23 for 2025, encompasses institutions from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. In making its selections this year, College Raptor considered graduation rates, campus diversity, endowment per student, retention rate, selectivity and other metrics. Its full methodology is available online. 

In a separate ranking last year, College Raptor also rated K as one of 15 Hidden Gems in the Great Lakes region as the College receives fewer than 5,000 applications a year while sustaining a student population of fewer than 7,000. 

“Since 2015, we’ve carefully assembled our lists each year to highlight the best schools in different categories to help families get started in the discovery process,” College Raptor CEO Bill Staib said. “K has shown dedication to academic excellence. We are proud to highlight them.” 

Image of a badge says Top 25 Great Lakes Colleges, College Raptor 2025
College Raptor has named Kalamazoo College among the Top 25 schools in the Great Lakes Region for 2025.

‘Colleges Worth Your Money’ Highlights K

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A book endorsed by education authors, reporters and professionals that highlights the value of 200 colleges and universities across the country features Kalamazoo College for the third consecutive year.

Colleges Worth Your Money: A Guide to What America’s Top Schools Can Do for You factors cost, career services offerings and return on investment along with 75 key statistics about each institution. It provides K with praise and high marks for its small class sizes, attractive career services offerings, outstanding professional outcomes, high graduation rates, international experiences, and need-based and merit-based financial aid packages.

“The school’s ascendance into the national spotlight can be traced to 1996 when the school was included in Loren Pope’s popular book, Colleges That Change Lives,” it says. “This is, indeed, an institution of higher learning that grants undergrads a personalized and bountiful four years of education. If the cost fits into your plan, then it is absolutely worth your money.”

K is the only private school in Michigan featured in Colleges Worthy Your Money, which is available now at bookstores and online. Learn more about the book at the College Transitions blog.

Colleges Worth Your Money Book Cover
Kalamazoo College is one of 200 institutions of higher education featured in “Colleges Worth Your Money: A Guide to What America’s Top Schools Can Do for You.”

Track and Field Returns to Kalamazoo College

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For the first time since the early 1980s, Kalamazoo College will offer a track and field program for student-athletes beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.

Both men and women will compete in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring) seasons. Cross country coach Kyle Morrison will also serve as the head coach of track and field.

“Reinstating the track and field program after almost 45 years of absence feels like a huge accomplishment in itself, but this is just the start of a very exciting time for Kalamazoo College cross country and track and field, as well as the athletics department as a whole,” Morrison said.

Director of Athletics Jamie Zorbo ’00 said K will hire an additional athletic trainer and an assistant coach, but there are no plans to build a track or other facilities to support the sport. K will rent Western Michigan University facilities for practices, and meets will take place at other schools. If the College would ever host an event, it would rent facilities from WMU or possibly a high school such as Kalamazoo Christian.

Morrison and Zorbo expect the new sport to attract new students to K.

“There are several instances each year where students have been interested in coming to Kalamazoo College and participating in one particular sport and track and field,” Zorbo said. “They typically have gone elsewhere because we haven’t offered track and field for many years. We feel there’s an opportunity to bring in those students and students who want to compete solely in track and field as well.”

Morrison said some recruiting work has already started.

Graphic of hurdles on a track reads, "Coming to K, 2025-26: Track and Field"
Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field will bring Kalamazoo College’s total number of varsity athletics teams to 22 beginning in 2025–26.

“The buzz of the program’s reinstatement is growing among high school coaches in the Midwest,” he said. “We would typically bring juniors to campus in the late spring after watching them at indoor and outdoor competitions, and then build interaction throughout their senior years with additional visits and the application process at the beginning of their senior year. We have five C’s that we want to see in our prospective student-athletes: character, communication, commitment, consistency and common-sense decision making. We’ve grown the roster for cross country from nine to 45 the last four years and I think we will have great success with a full track and field coaching staff and strong momentum.”

Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field will bring K’s total number of varsity athletics teams to 22 along with men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis, in addition to baseball and football for men, and volleyball and softball for women.

“I’m excited for Coach Morrison because this is something he’s been very passionate about bringing back to Kalamazoo College,” Zorbo said. “He’s built a strong cross country program that continues to get better. I’m excited to see him spearhead the revival of the track and field program at Kalamazoo College. I believe it will enhance our athletic department while elevating the recruitment of student-athletes for all programs.”

Morrison thanks the task force that vetted the proposal for track and field over the past year and a half including Sports Information Director Steve Wideen, then-Director of Admission and current Director of Alumni Engagement Suzanne Lepley, Dow Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics Jan Tobochnik, Associate Vice President for Development Andy Miller ’99 and Director of Gender Equity Tanya Jachimiak, along with Zorbo, Provost Danette Johnson and President Jorge G. Gonzalez for their support and belief in the vision.

“Getting to this point took some considerable time and effort,” Morrison said. “When I came to K five years ago, I talked about this being a big opportunity for K athletics and the College as a whole. I believe that this will bring several more students to campus each year. It is not uncommon for Division III schools to attract multiple-sport student-athletes and track and field is another great reason my colleagues and I can provide students to come to K. I want to bring student-athletes who excel in the classroom and compete at the highest level in their events.”