If the cliché "great minds do great things" is true, the Kalamazoo region is poised to do great things…

Kalamazoo is home to the world-renowned Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program, which provides free scholarships to EVERY child that graduates from the Kalamazoo Public School system. In addition, our region boasts three exceptional institutions of higher learning - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. 

Southwest Michigan First works with area educational leaders to leverage their exceptional facilities and staff to provide research and development opportunities for area businesses and prepare the workforce of the future. We collaborate with the Monroe-Brown Foundation to sponsor the Monroe-Brown Internship Program offering area college students applied career experience in the Southwest Michigan business community and funding for college.
 

We realize by educating our citizens, our community's goals will be realized. As a result of our commitment, our diversified workforce is highly educated and boasts one of the nation’s highest concentrations of Ph.D.’s at more than two times the national average per capita.

Higher Education
Western Michigan University
Among the largest universities in the United States with over 25,000 students, Western Michigan University is listed among U.S. News and World Report's top-100 public universities in the nation. Western Michigan University is one of only four public universities in the state to be included among the top three tiers in the magazine's listing of Best National Universities and is one of Michigan’s top research institutions.

Kalamazoo College
Established in 1833, Kalamazoo College is the oldest private college in Michigan. The school limits total enrollment to under 1,500 students, yet draws from 41 states and 22 countries around the world. The 2009 U.S. News & World Report ranked Kalamazoo College 60th on its list of the Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the United States. And it offers one of the nation’s top study abroad programs.
 

Kalamazoo Valley Community College
A leader in quick-responding initiatives to meet marketplace needs, Kalamazoo Valley Community College is part of the new breed of "graduate schools." Nearly 11,000 students are enrolled in its programs. The college offers certificate programs in over 20 areas of study, associate of applied science degrees in 25 programs and the nation’s only Wind Turbine Technician Academy.
 

Additional Higher Education Opportunities are offered at Cornerstone University, Davenport University, Phoenix University and Spring Arbor University.

The Kalamazoo Promise
In the fall of 2005, Kalamazoo Public Schools introduced the Kalamazoo Promise. A group of anonymous donors interested in economic strength and quality of life in the city of Kalamazoo made a tremendous contribution on behalf of students attending Kalamazoo Public Schools; each Kalamazoo Public School graduate is provided the opportunity to attend post-secondary education with up to a 100% tuition scholarship. All students who graduate from Kalamazoo Public Schools, are residing in the district and have been students four years or more will be given funding for college tuition and mandatory fees. The funds will be available to use at any public university or community college in the state of Michigan.
 

Eligibility for the program is relatively simple:

1.  All students who graduate from Kalamazoo Public Schools, are residing in the district and have been students four years or more are eligible; enrollment and residency must be continuous.
2.  Students must be admitted to and enrolled at a public state of Michigan university or community college. Students then need to make regular progress toward a degree or certification; maintain a 2.0 grade point average at the post-secondary institution; and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

Click here for additional information on the program, the extent of benefits available, eligible schools and information on how the program has benefitted the KPS population to date.

K-12 Education
Kalamazoo County provides families with a wide variety of choices for private, public, and parochial schooling. Special programs include:

• Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center, an accelerated program in mathematics, science and technology for select high school students, publicly recognized by President Clinton in 1994
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, a program of university-level coursework offered by the Portage Public School high school system that is one of only a select few in the nation
• Kalamazoo Magnet Schools, in addition to the traditional elementary program, offer opportunities in environmental science, writing, technology, world culture arts and inquiry-based settings
• Education for Employment, a school-to-work program, gives high school students a head start on the education and experience necessary to be successful in today's workplace. Students finish the programs ready to work or go to college.