LMC vs. SMC

Should I go to Lake Michigan College or Southwestern Michigan College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if LMC 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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Lake Michigan College vs. Southwestern Michigan College comparison
Lake Michigan College Southwestern Michigan College College 3 College 4
Southwestern Michigan College
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Overview

 LMC SMC
Location Benton Harbor, MI Dowagiac, MI
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,543 1,807
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lakemichigancollege.edu swmich.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 LMC SMC
Tuition (In State) $5,048 $4,043
Tuition (Out of State) $7,148 $5,776
Room & Board $13,496 $9,500
Avg Net Price $9,567 $9,094
Avg Grant Aid $6,272 $5,768
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 94%

Admission

 LMC SMC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA 2.8 -
Typical High School Grades B- -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline

Academics

 LMC SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (30%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (21%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Engineering Technology (12%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (41%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (7%)
  • Communications Technology (3%)

Outcomes

 LMC SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $27,000 $29,600
Making Student Loan Payments 27% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,864 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $112 $124

Diversity

 LMC SMC
% Men 36% 42%
% Women 64% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 65% 72%
% Black 16% 12%
% Hispanic 9% 6%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

 LMC SMC
% In-State 92% 87%
% Out-of-State 7% 13%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lake Michigan College is larger than than SMC based on total student enrollment (2,543 students vs. 1,807 students)

LMC vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LMC or SMC?

  • Lake Michigan College is 34.7% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($7,148.00 vs. $5,305.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.8% higher at LMC than Southwestern Michigan College ($7,148.00 vs. $5,776.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern Michigan College than LMC ($9,094 vs. $9,567)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwestern Michigan College are 42.1% lower than costs at Lake Michigan College ($9,500 vs. $13,496)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lake Michigan College than Southwestern Michigan College (97% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lake Michigan College students is 8.7% larger than aid received Southwestern Michigan College ($6,272 vs. $5,768)

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

LMC vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, LMC 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 LMC.

  • Graduates from Southwestern Michigan College earn on average $2,600 more per year than LMC graduates after ten years. ($29,600 vs. $27,000)
  • Lake Michigan College students graduate with a $1,136 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($10,864 vs. $12,000)
  • LMC graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($112 vs. $124)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former LMC students, three years after graduation. (28% vs. 27%)

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