About WMU

Three WMU students downtown Kalamazoo during the art fair.

Kalamazoo

The city of Kalamazoo is a classic college town with a vibrant atmosphere. It is nestled perfectly between Chicago and Detroit and less than an hour from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Top 100

Best Places to Live

—Liveability.com, 2022

No. 3

Best Metro Area in America for new college grads

—Smart Asset, 2023

No. 5

Most Vibrant Arts Community

—SMU Data Arts ranking for medium-sized communities, 2024
Legally Blonde WMU theatre production.

Arts, activities and appetite

Kalamazoo offers several theaters, museums and galleries, live music venues, eateries, brewpubs and cafes, including eclectic events and attractions like the Air Zoo, Gilmore Piano Festival and Growlers minor league baseball.
WMU students at Lake Michigan, South Haven.

Find your adventure

For outdoor fun, the local area has 83 public lakes and 40 miles of trails for kayaking, biking and cross-country skiing. The stunning Lake Michigan shoreline and beaches are just 35 miles away.
Student teacher in the classroom.

Lifelong learning

The Kalamazoo community is also known for the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship program available to all Kalamazoo Public Schools’ students that covers up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees at any Michigan public (and many private) institutions of higher learning.

Meeting community needs

Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

Medical school

Building on a legacy of educational innovation and a commitment to meeting community needs, WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine was formed in 2012. Today, it is a flourishing medical school dedicated to educating the next generation of doctors, offering exemplary patient care and advancing medical research.

Researchers at Genemarkers working with a microscope.

BTR Park

Established in 2000, this 265-acre parcel is home to several dozen businesses pursuing advances in life sciences, engineering, information technology and other fields. In the years since its inception, BTR has attracted more than $150 million in investments, generated more than 1,400 jobs and given rise to numerous internships, co-ops and other experiential-learning opportunities. Building on the success of the original BTR, the park was expanded by 55 acres in 2021 with the help of a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration; the expansion is known as BTR Park North.