Undergraduate Admissions Overview

While some may think a traditional SMC student is a recent high school graduate, a look around our campuses will illustrate our students are of various ages and life experiences – all coming together in pursuit of academic achievement.

Students who choose SMC for their undergraduate studies will find highly qualified faculty who use active learning strategies, setting the foundation for academic success that will benefit students well after they have graduated from SMC. All of SMC’s faculty focus on student learning outcomes facilitated in small classes and enhanced by state-of-the-art technology and learning environments.

Southwestern Michigan College does not require any tests as a condition of admission, but various tests can assist students in selecting the right courses to match their academic strengths and weaknesses.

SMC's student course success rate averages about 80%. That puts SMC in the top 5 percent of the nation's community colleges for student course success. Upon transfer, SMC students do significantly better than native students or students transferring from other community colleges. We are in the top 1% of the nation for transfer success, according to the National College Benchmarking Survey, which provides an objective comparison of SMC with community colleges nationally.

In addition, SMC graduates who transferred to Western Michigan University and Ferris State University continue to demonstrate student success. Students who began their education at SMC earned on average a higher grade-point average (GPA) at WMU, showing that they consistently outperform transfer students from other institutions, and they consistently outperform students who began their career at WMU.

SMC received similar data from Ferris State University (FSU). SMC students who transferred to FSU earned a significantly higher GPA than all other Michigan community college transfer students and FSU students in general.

Even though SMC has one of the lowest tuition rates in the region, we know that many students will need further financial assistance to make their educational dreams come true. SMC helps make college affordable by offering financial aid to qualified students. Many SMC students receive some type of financial aid, including grants, scholarships, work-study and loans. Southwestern Michigan College also offers a convenient monthly budget plan through the eCashier™ FACTS Automatic Payment Plan.

All students, both full- and part-time, should apply for financial aid. Though, many financial aid awards are based on financial need or on academic achievement, there are numerous community scholarships available that have various criteria for eligibility.

And with a dedicated faculty and a winning strategy for student success, Southwestern Michigan College will help students build a solid academic foundation for their educational future. With the assistance from one of our friendly Outreach Specialist in Enrollment Management, you will get step-by-step assistance to guide you through the application process.