Applied Liberal Arts Academics at Albion
Albion College appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Technologically Advanced Small Colleges.
Divided into 23 departments, Albion College delivers hands-on Methodist education for 70 bachelor’s majors and 44 minors with 81 percent freshman retention. For example, the 32-unit B.A. in Public Policy utilizes the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership to learn government processes. In Bobbitt Visual Arts Center, the B.F.A. in Art follows a 34-unit, studio-based curriculum centered on creative expression. Chaired by Dr. Charles Moreau, the 32-unit B.A. in Physics offers the Astronomy Emphasis or Dual Degree in Engineering options. The B.A. in French blends 32 units of Vulgamore Hall classes with a Native Speaker Teaching Assistantship and Paris Semester. Known for its Coy James Memorial Lecture Series, the 32-unit B.A. in History analyzes the past with courses like Victorian Britain in Robinson Hall. Other Albion opportunities include the B.A. in Earth Science, B.A. in Actuarial Mathematics, B.A. in Philosophy, B.A. in Psychological Science, B.A. in Sustainability Studies, and B.A. in Music.
About Albion College
Albion College originated on March 23, 1835, when Michigan Territorial Governor Stevens T. Mason chartered the Methodist Episcopal Church’s Spring Arbor Seminary. After the Panic of 1837, it moved three miles southwest to 60 acres donated by postmaster Jesse Crowell and became Wesleyan Seminary in 1841. Nine years later, it was renamed Albion Female Collegiate Institute for all-girls education. The State Legislature gave four-year degree authority on February 25, 1861, thus creating Albion College as one of the Midwest’s first coed institutes. In 1901, Albion began shaping today’s 30-building Lower Peninsula campus near the North Kalamazoo River. By 1922, Albion College adopted the major-minor system for Bachelor of Arts degrees. Albion became a founder of the Great Lakes Colleges Association in 1961 and Ford Foundation Grant recipient in 1964. Recently, the Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business opened downtown at Ludington Center in 2017. Endowed for $176 million, Albion College now employs 105 full-time faculty teaching 1,380 Britons with 100+ clubs like Dead Pinocchio Theatre.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Albion the 152nd best national liberal arts college and 130th top high school counselor choice. On Niche, Albion boasts America’s 73rd best Christian education, 88th best kinesiology program, 164the smallest classes, and 187th top professors. Times Higher Education placed Albion College 223rd overall. Forbes declared Albion the 238th best private school and 81st top Midwestern university. Money magazine picked Albion College 340th with a 20-year PayScale ROI of $202,000. College Factual noticed Albion for the country’s 187th best biology, 143rd top communication, 97th best recreation, and 119th top economics degrees. Washington Monthly crowned Albion the 17th best liberal arts buck. WalletHub positioned Albion 85th for faculty resources and 250th for value-added teaching. The “College of Distinction” also landed 158th on the Grateful Grads Index.
Albion College Accreditation Details
On March 22, 2021, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) has scheduled a comprehensive evaluation visit to Albion College for renewing the Level II PEAQ accreditation for another 10 years under its 16th president, Dr. Mauri Ditzler, who earned the 1994 Chemical Educator of the Year Award. Located 189 miles west via Interstate 94 in Chicago, this mega 19-state Midwest accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department to check Albion’s Federal Title-IV baccalaureate eligibility. Albion College is recognized by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church in Nashville. Other program-specific accreditations include the following:
- National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC)
- Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)
Albion College Application Requirements
Attending Albion College is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because 2,742 of the 3,884 Fall 2017 applicants were triumphant for discerning 71 percent acceptance. First-year Britons undergo a holistic review after high school diploma or GED completion. Four units of English, three units of Math and Science, and two units of History are expected. Minimum grades aren’t published, but the Class of 2021 had a 3.4 mean GPA. On average, freshmen achieved a 24 ACT and 1100 SAT composite score. Advanced Placement exams graded “4” or higher can count for course equivalents. The Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program only admits grade point averages of 3.5 to the perfect 4.0. Undergrads with at least one full-time semester of accredited college education and 2.5 GPAs are deemed transfers. International learners from non-English countries must present a minimum 510 SAT Reading, 19 ACT English, 550 TOEFL, or 6.5 IELTS mark.
Albion College created freshman deadlines of December 1st for Early Action and May 1st for Regular Decision, though the scholarship priority date is March 1st. Undergrad transfers have until August 17th for Fall and January 3rd for Spring entry. Please note non-U.S. residents are only considered until February 1st and October 1st though. Submitting the Albion Application or Common Application online must include a $40 non-refundable fee. Certified transcripts in English are mailed to 611 East Porter Street in Albion, MI 49224. Standardized test results are generated with SAT code 1007 or ACT code 1956. Supplemental items are the counselor report, teacher evaluation, short essay, financial planning worksheet, fine arts portfolio, and Distinguished Scholars Program application. Please contact (517) 629-1000 or [email protected] for more information.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, Albion College is billing full-time Bachelor of Arts majors $22,535 per semester or $45,070 annually. Undergrads pay the $260 activity fee, $360 student senate fee, and $176 wellness education fee. The Equestrian Center’s Riding Program has $1,090 lessons. The Music Department has private lessons costing $500 per 1/2 unit. Off-campus study comes with a $1,500 fee each term. Summer Session courses are $750 per unit or $3,000 total. Living at the Calhoun County campus’ dorms like Whitehouse Hall adds $6,080 to $8,730 yearly. Residential block meal plans for Baldwin Café are $6,300 extra. Albion budgets $700 for textbooks, $790 for miscellaneous supplies, and $300 for automobile registration. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals around $56,750 on-site and $45,020 with parents.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Student Financial Services Office in Ferguson Hall provides 98 percent of Albion Britons with average aid of $29,902 for $41.71 million overall. Institutional funds include the Bernard T. Lomas Scholarship, Fine Arts Scholarship, David Randall Chemistry Scholarship, United Methodist Student Scholarship, John Wesley Matching Scholarship, James A. & Verle A. Klungness Scholarship, and Clifford G. Anderson Scholarship. Albion Freshman Merit Scholarships range from $17,000 to $27,000 per year. The Kalamazoo Promise Program has a February 15th deadline for fulfilling 100 percent of unmet need. The Sebold Gift awards $500 for proposed off-campus study. FAFSA applications coded 002235 might receive renewable Federal Pell and FSEOG Grants. Integrated Science B.A. with Elementary Certification majors qualify for the $4,000 Federal TEACH Grant. Handshake lists Work-Study openings worth up to $1,500. The Repayment Estimator helps calculate Federal Stafford, Perkins, and private loan borrowing. Michigan assistance like the Tuition Incentive Program, Tuition Grant, Rosa Parks Scholarship, and Skandalaris Family Scholarship apply too.
Search through undergrad, well-rounded programs of study on the Albion College website.