Kalamazoo

Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo, so says the T-shirts sold in this southwestern Michigan city. With community colleges, liberal arts schools and big universities, Kalamazoo is a great place to study. Because there are so many colleges in Kalamazoo, there’s always something to do. Notably, Kalamazoo colleges contribute immensely to the city’s artistic cultural vibe, with frequent theater productions, art exhibits, and festivals, including the Kalamazoo Animation Festival International. The climate of Kalamazoo is seasonal, with heavy snowfall in the winter, and warmer temperature in the summer. While the many colleges in Kalamazoo sustain its reputation as a college town, Kalamazoo is also known for its breweries and flavor companies.

The four most well-known colleges in Kalamazoo are Davenport University, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Western Michigan University and the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center. The impressive list of Kalamazoo colleges also includes the satellite campuses of Spring Arbor University, Cornerstone University and the University of Phoenix. With big name companies like the Eaton Corporation, Pfizer and the Stryker Corporation in close proximity, students of Kalamazoo colleges find that engineering, business and science programs are especially strong. With so many colleges in Kalamazoo, it’s no surprise that many of its residents are employed by the universities. The majority of both men and women living in Kalamazoo work in educational services (13 % and 17% respectively). Behind education, accommodation and food service, construction and health care are the most common divisions of employment. Roughly 84.2 % of Kalamazoo residents have finished high school, and 32.7 % have a bachelor’s or higher. The Kalamazoo area furthermore boasts a number of excellent workforce training programs in Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Information Systems Technology, Automotive Systems and Plastics—just to name a few.