by our College Data Analytics TeamSouthwestern Michigan College is a public institution in Dowagiac, Michigan enrolling 1,431 undergraduates. It has an on-time graduation rate of 38%, near the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #2,609 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 51%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Southwestern Michigan College ranks #2,609 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 51%.
College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities in its annual rankings and ranks them in a variety of ways, including most diverse, best overall quality, best for non-traditional students, and much more.
Southwestern Michigan College was awarded 26 badges in the 2027 rankings.
SMC is ranked #2,609 out of 5,159 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges list.
Within the state, SMC holds the #66 spot on the Best Colleges in Michigan ranking.
See all of the rankings for Southwestern Michigan College.
Learn more about Southwestern Michigan College admissions.
With a student to faculty ratio of 17 to 1, Southwestern Michigan College is about average in this regard as the nationwide rate is 15 to 1. While this does not translate directly to class size, it’s a good indicator of how much time professors will have to spend with their students on a one-on-one basis.
When estimating how much access students will have to their teachers, some people like to look at what percentage of faculty members are full time. This is because part-time teachers may not have as much time to spend on campus as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Southwestern Michigan College is 32%. This is lower than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate is a sign of how many full-time students like a college or university well enough to come back for their sophomore year. At Southwestern Michigan College this rate is 57%, which is a bit lower than the national average of 68%.
When it comes to finishing their studies on time, those seeking a bachelor’s degree from SMC have a four-year graduation rate of 38%. This is comparable to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Southwestern Michigan College.
In the current academic year, there are 1,431 undergraduates at SMC.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Southwestern Michigan College.
The average net price of SMC is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,134 | $4,151 | $7,414 | $10,514 | $11,413 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of SMC, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
It’s not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At SMC, approximately 16% of students took out student loans averaging $5,194 a year. That adds up to $20,776 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 24.4%. This is significantly higher than the national default rate of 10.1%, which means you could have trouble paying back your student loans if you take any out. Get more details about paying for Southwestern Michigan College.
Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Southwestern Michigan College make around $37,303 per year during the early years of their employment. Unfortunately, this is 24% less than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. However, graduates in your major field may make more.
See which majors at Southwestern Michigan College make the most money.
Southwestern Michigan College is a public institution situated in Dowagiac, Michigan. The rural area surrounding SMC is great for students who love a peaceful atmosphere. Get more details about the location of Southwestern Michigan College.
Contact information for Southwestern Michigan College are listed below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 58900 Cherry Grove Rd, Dowagiac, MI 49047-9793 |
| Phone: | 2697821000 |
| Website: | www.swmich.edu |
In the most recent reporting year, students from 19 majors graduated from Southwestern Michigan College. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 322 | NA |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 56 | $18,851 |
| Business & Commerce | 38 | NA |
| Precision Metal Working | 33 | NA |
| Nursing | 29 | $53,825 |
| Vehicle Maintenance & Repair | 18 | NA |
| Business Administration & Management | 17 | NA |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 14 | NA |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | 13 | NA |
| Computer Systems Networking | 11 | NA |
967 students took at least one online class at Southwestern Michigan College.
Online learning is becoming popular at even the oldest colleges and universities in the United States. Not only are online classes great for returning adults with busy schedules, they are also frequented by a growing number of traditional students.
Learn more about online learning at Southwestern Michigan College.
Curious how schools stack up against SMC? Pit them head to head with College Combat, our free tool for head-to-head college comparisons.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.