Albion College is a private college that focuses on liberal arts in Albion, Michigan, United States. The college was started in 1835, and it had about 1,500 undergraduate students in the fall of 2021. The college participates in NCAA Division III and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).
History
On March 23, 1835, Methodist settlers in Spring Arbor Township received permission from the Michigan Territorial Legislature to create a new seminary. Construction started in 1837 outside Spring Arbor, but the Panic of 1837 stopped the project. In 1839, a request to move the seminary to Albion was approved by the legislature.
Sixty acres (243,000 m ) of land were given by Jesse Crowell to the seminary, which was then named "Wesleyan Seminary." Construction began in 1841. The first classes were held in 1843 at the local Methodist Church. In 1844, classes started in the newly built Central Building, which was later rebuilt as the current Robinson Hall in 1907.
In 1850, the "Albion Female Collegiate Institute" was founded. In 1857, it merged with the Wesleyan Seminary and was renamed "The Wesleyan Seminary and Female College at Albion." The merger was completed in 1861, and the institution became known as "Albion College." That same year, the legislature allowed the college to grant four-year college degrees to both men and women.
Academics
Albion College offers undergraduate degrees in business, the humanities, fine arts, natural sciences, and social sciences. It provides study-abroad programs in Europe, Latin America, Israel, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Albion is well known for its equestrian center, the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center, and its biology and physical education programs. The three most popular first majors, based on the number of graduates in 2021, were Biology/Biological Sciences (43), Economics (33), and Communication (28).
The 144-acre (0.58 km²) Whitehouse Nature Center at Albion works with public schools and the community. It has six miles of trails, 400 plant species, nearly 170 bird species, 25 acres of oak-hickory and floodplain forest, a tall-grass prairie and spring in the Adele D. Whitehouse Wildflower Garden, an arboretum with Michigan trees and shrubs, 34 acres of farmland and research projects, and an interpretive building.
The Albion College Astronomical Observatory was built between 1883 and 1884 with support from Samuel Dickie, who later became the college president.
Since 1990, one student became a Rhodes Scholar, three were Goldwater Scholars, four were Truman Scholars, and seventeen were Fulbright Scholars.
Astronomical observatory
Albion College is home to the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Center & Astronomical Observatory, named after Prentiss M. Brown, a U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative who graduated from Albion College in 1911. The observatory is recognized as a Michigan State Historical Site and is used for educational activities and public viewing events. These events allow students and community members to observe celestial objects such as planets, stars, and solar events.
A key feature of the observatory is the 8.25" Alvan Clark Telescope, which was built in the late 1800s. Alvan Clark & Sons were well-known telescope makers, and the telescope adds historical and educational value to the observatory. According to "Old Albion," a college history published in 1909, Alvan Clark himself crafted the Albion telescope, marking it as the last telescope he made before his death. This claim has not been confirmed. At the time, Clark's health was declining in the early 1880s, and details about his work in the years before his death in 1887 are not well-documented.
Demographics
As of the 2021 Fall enrollment, 53% of students were female and 47% were male. Seventy-three percent of students lived in Michigan, 26% were from other states, and 1% were from foreign countries. Ninety-eight percent of students were enrolled full-time. The ethnic backgrounds of students were as follows:
- White (55%)
- Black or African American (17%)
- Hispanic or Latino (12%)
- Race or Ethnicity Not Listed (9%)
- Two or More Races (3%)
- Asian (2%)
- Non-resident Alien (2%)
Before the 2010s, most students were white and not from low-income families. The number of Black, Hispanic, and first-time university students increased, as did the number of students from lower-income families, because of efforts to increase and diversify student numbers. Between 2013 and 2020, Albion College increased its minority enrollment from 18% to 41%. In 2020, 48% of the incoming class identified as persons of color.
Tuition and financial aid
The total cost to attend Albion full time in 2022 was $67,310. Albion provides some kind of financial help to all of its students. The average financial aid package in December 2022 was $53,714 per student.
Greek life
Albion College has six social fraternities and six sororities. All of these groups are part of the North American Interfraternity Conference and are members of Albion College's InterFraternity Council (IFC). The song "Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" was written in 1911 by Byron D. Stokes (Albion, 1913) and F. Dudleigh Vernor (Albion, 1914). It was first performed by Harry Clifford (Albion, 1911) while he was a student at Albion College.
Albion College also has fifteen honorary, professional, service, and special interest fraternities. One of these is Phi Beta Kappa, which was established as the Michigan Beta chapter in 1940.
Athletics
Albion College's athletic teams are known as the Britons. The college is part of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Albion has won a total of 173 men's MIAA titles (ranked second overall) and 26 women's MIAA titles (ranked fifth overall).
The football team won the NCAA Division III national championship in 1994.
The esports team began during the 2021–2022 school year.
References
- Among students who chose to submit