Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) vs Alma College

When it comes to higher education, Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) and Alma College stand as distinct institutions with unique offerings. GRCC, a public community college, boasts an open admissions policy, welcoming students from all backgrounds. In contrast, Alma College, a private liberal arts college, maintains a selective admissions process, resulting in a lower acceptance rate. While GRCC offers a diverse range of associate degrees and certificates, Alma College focuses on bachelor's degrees across various disciplines. Both institutions cater to different student demographics, with GRCC attracting a larger proportion of part-time students and Alma College enrolling a predominantly residential student body. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key aspects of these two institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Alma College	Grand Rapids Community College
Overview
Location	Alma, Michigan	Grand Rapids, Michigan
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	2 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	57.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.8%	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,908
Total number of admissions given out	2,000
Admitted students who chose to enroll	319
Yield rate	16.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	Not required
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$54,879	In state: $21,121 Out of state: $24,841
Average net price	$24,302	$9,168
Tuition	$43,602	In state: $7,410 Out of state: $11,130
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,682 Meal plan: $5,456
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $33,081	54.0% Average amount $5,801
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,671	16.0% Average amount $3,541
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $13,784	1.0% Average amount $8,106

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,340 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%	12,642 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	13 Men 30.8% Women 69.2%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	9.5%	N/A
International students	2.9%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,304	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Ohio Texas Indiana	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Engineering Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	19.7%
Dropout rate	37.2%	36.2%
Transferred out	N/A	19.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,983 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $46,056 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,213 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $36,758 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,979 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,178 Year 2: $25,596 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,074 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,027 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,918 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,158 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,171 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $51,135 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $61,862 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $56,133 Year 2: $54,732 Year 3: $57,616 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $35,723 Year 2: $41,025 Year 3: $44,954 Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $31,348 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $41,400 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $41,438 Year 2: $37,671 Year 3: $41,393 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $43,232 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $39,841 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,941 Year 3: $36,311 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $33,965 Year 2: $33,779 Year 3: $34,400 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $23,727 Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $32,428 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $24,081 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $32,396

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Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) vs Alma College

Alma College

Grand Rapids Community College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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