TCL vs. SMC

Should I go to Technical College of the Lowcountry or Spartanburg Methodist College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TCL or SMC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Technical College of the Lowcountry vs. Spartanburg Methodist College comparison
Technical College of the Lowcountry Spartanburg Methodist College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 TCL SMC
Location Beaufort, SC Spartanburg, SC
Setting Remote Town Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 2,196 1,064
Type Public 2 Year Private 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcl.edu smcsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TCL SMC
Tuition (In State) $5,136 $16,200
Tuition (Out of State) $10,680 $16,200
Room & Board $6,800 $11,950
Avg Net Price $7,257 $16,333
Avg Grant Aid $6,523 $14,078
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 99%

Admission

 TCL SMC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 1,959
Admitted - 1,609
Acceptance Rate Open 82.1%
Enrolled % Open 31.3%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

 TCL SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (25%)
  • Engineering Technology (23%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (15%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (83%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (14%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (2%)

Outcomes

 TCL SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $29,600 $34,400
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 46%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,500 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $77 $124

Diversity

 TCL SMC
% Men 29% 46%
% Women 71% 54%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 57%
% Black 35% 33%
% Hispanic 11% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 1%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 TCL SMC
% In-State 94% 95%
% Out-of-State 6% 4%

Campus

 TCL SMC
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Technical College of the Lowcountry is larger than than SMC based on total student enrollment (2,196 students vs. 1,064 students)

TCL vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCL or SMC?

  • Spartanburg Methodist College is 182.4% more expensive to attend than TCL for in-state tuition ($16,200.00 vs. $5,736.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 51.7% higher at SMC than Technical College of the Lowcountry ($16,200.00 vs. $10,680.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Technical College of the Lowcountry than SMC ($7,257 vs. $16,333)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Technical College of the Lowcountry are 75.7% lower than costs at Spartanburg Methodist College ($6,800 vs. $11,950)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Technical College of the Lowcountry as Spartanburg Methodist College (99% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Spartanburg Methodist College students is 115.8% larger than aid received Technical College of the Lowcountry ($14,078 vs. $6,523)

Which college is harder to get into, TCL or SMC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between SMC or TCL .

TCL vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCL or SMC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between SMC and TCL.

  • Graduates from Spartanburg Methodist College earn on average $4,800 more per year than TCL graduates after ten years. ($34,400 vs. $29,600)
  • Technical College of the Lowcountry students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($7,500 vs. $12,000)
  • TCL graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($77 vs. $124)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former TCL students, three years after graduation. (46% vs. 35%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/