Southwestern Michigan College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Dowagiac, Michigan. It enrolls 1,431 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes29
Value78
Affordability66
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Southwestern Michigan College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $5,978 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$6,417
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$8,394
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,825
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,972
Books & Supplies
$1,659
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,919
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,464
Total Cost of Attendance
$15,589
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$5,134
$30,001 – $48,000
$4,151
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,414
$75,001 – $110,000
$10,514
Over $110,000
$11,413
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,01210%percentile
$3,56425%percentile
$10,959Medianpercentile
$12,59975%percentile
$19,35290%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $5,500
↓ $5,459
No Pell $5,500
↓ $5,459
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $5,459
Independent students $9,500
↓ $1,459
Female students $5,758
↓ $5,201
Male students $5,500
↓ $5,459
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($10,959), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
25% of students who start here finish within six years, and 58% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
25%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
58%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $37,303 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$37,303
Earning > $25K
63%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$27,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$41,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $14,400, about 34% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
13.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 58% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,431 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 41% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,431
Part-Time
33%
First-Generation
41%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 68.6%981
Black 15.3%219
Other 8.8%126
Hispanic 1.2%17
Asian 0.8%11
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Southwestern Michigan College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Southwestern Michigan College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
41 distinct programs across
21 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,705
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$14M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$68,180
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
45 instructional faculty across 3 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
31
69%
$71,136
Associate Professors
12
27%
$63,505
Assistant Professors
2
4%
$50,400
Pros & Cons of Southwestern Michigan College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southwestern Michigan College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, Southwestern Michigan College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Southwestern Michigan College
The questions families ask most about Southwestern Michigan College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Southwestern Michigan College hard to get into?
Not especially. Southwestern Michigan College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Southwestern Michigan College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Southwestern Michigan College cost?
Budget around $5,978 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southwestern Michigan College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $37,303 a year against a net price of $5,978, about 6.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southwestern Michigan College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Precision Metal Working. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Southwestern Michigan College graduates earn?
About $37,303 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southwestern Michigan College accredited?
Yes. Southwestern Michigan College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Southwestern Michigan College?
1,431 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Southwestern Michigan College?
25% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Southwestern Michigan College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Southwestern Michigan College located?
Southwestern Michigan College is located in Dowagiac, Michigan.
What programs does Southwestern Michigan College offer?
41 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Precision Metal Working. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southwestern Michigan College?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Michigan
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