SC4 vs. SMC

Deciding between St Clair County Community College and Southwestern Michigan College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Southwestern Michigan College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • SC4 Port Huron, MI
  • SMC Dowagiac, MI
  • Setting
  • SC4 Small Suburban
  • SMC Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • SC4 3,317
  • SMC 2,000
  • Type
  • SC4 Public 2 Year
  • SMC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SC4
  • SMC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SC4 -
  • SMC -
  • Status
  • SC4 Non-profit
  • SMC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SC4
  • SMC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SC4 $5,212
  • SMC $6,417
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SC4 $12,150
  • SMC $8,394
  • Room & Board
  • SC4 $15,780
  • SMC $10,825
  • Average Net Price
  • SC4 $7,212
  • SMC $6,684
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SC4 $6,893
  • SMC $8,166
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SC4 80%
  • SMC 94%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • SC4 -
  • SMC -
  • Admitted
  • SC4 -
  • SMC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • SC4 Open
  • SMC Open
  • Enrolled
  • SC4 Open
  • SMC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • SC4
  • SMC
  • Typical ACT score
  • SC4
  • SMC
  • Average High School GPA
  • SC4 -
  • SMC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • SC4 -
  • SMC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • SC4 Unavailable
  • SMC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • SC4
  • SMC
  • ACT Range
  • SC4
  • SMC
  • SAT Range
  • SC4
  • SMC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • SC4 Open admission
  • SMC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • SC4
  • SMC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SC4 17:1
  • SMC 17:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SC4
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (34%)
    • Health Professions (29%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • SMC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (41%)
    • Health Professions (29%)
    • Business (8%)
    • Engineering Technology (7%)
    • Communications Technology (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SC4 -
  • SMC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SC4 $33,400
  • SMC $29,600
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SC4 39%
  • SMC 28%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SC4 $12,201
  • SMC $12,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SC4 $126
  • SMC $124

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SC4 36%
  • SMC 39%
  • % Women
  • SC4 64%
  • SMC 61%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SC4 Very Low
  • SMC Low
  • HBCU
  • SC4 No
  • SMC No
  • % White
  • SC4 88%
  • SMC 72%
  • % Asian
  • SC4 0%
  • SMC 1%
  • % Black
  • SC4 3%
  • SMC 12%
  • % Hispanic
  • SC4 3%
  • SMC 6%
  • % Native American
  • SC4 1%
  • SMC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SC4 0%
  • SMC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SC4 1%
  • SMC 5%
  • % International
  • SC4 0%
  • SMC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SC4 3%
  • SMC 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SC4 97%
  • SMC 85%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SC4 0%
  • SMC 14%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • SC4 No
  • SMC Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • SC4 No
  • SMC No
  • Meal Plan
  • SC4 No
  • SMC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • SC4 Yes
  • SMC No
  • Daycare Facility
  • SC4 Yes
  • SMC No

Comparable Facts

Compare St Clair County Community College in Port Huron, MI with Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac, MI on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St Clair County Community College is larger than SMC based on total student enrollment (3,317 students vs. 2,000 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • St Clair County Community College is located in Port Huron, MI (Small Suburban setting); Southwestern Michigan College is in Dowagiac, MI (Rural Fringe setting).
  • St Clair County Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Southwestern Michigan College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: St Clair County Community College 17:1; Southwestern Michigan College 17:1.

SC4 vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SC4 or SMC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern Michigan College than SC4 ($6,684 vs. $7,212).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwestern Michigan College are 31.4% lower than at St Clair County Community College ($10,825 vs. $15,780).
  • St Clair County Community College is 11.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than SMC (about $884 more per year; $8,748.00 vs. $7,864.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 44.7% higher at SC4 than at Southwestern Michigan College (about $3,756 more per year; $12,150.00 vs. $8,394.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Southwestern Michigan College than at St Clair County Community College (94% vs. 80%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southwestern Michigan College students is 18.5% larger than aid received by St Clair County Community College students ($8,166 vs. $6,893).

SC4 vs. SMC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SC4 or SMC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SMC and SC4.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SC4 - Open admission; SMC - Open admission.

SC4 vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SC4 and SMC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from St Clair County Community College earn a median of about $3,800 more per year than SMC graduates about ten years after starting college ($33,400 vs. $29,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Southwestern Michigan College graduates have a $201 lower median loan debt than SC4 graduates ($12,000 vs. $12,201).
  • Among borrowers, SMC graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SC4 graduates ($124 vs. $126).
  • More SC4 graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMC students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.