Student Success

Student Success at SMC

For a glossary of terms used on this page, see the Student Success Glossary.

SMC’s graduation and transfer rates are higher than state and national averages compared to other two-year colleges.

Posted in compliance of HLC Policy FDCR.A.10.080

SMC is proud of the diverse mix of students served by the college.

 

SMC student persistence across academic terms is in the top 10% of all public two-year colleges nationwide.

Chart depicting SMC's student persistence rate, which was 77% for next-term enrollment and 46% for fall-to-fall

Source: NCCBP Executive Report, 2023

 

SMC has demonstrated consistent improvement and continues to exceed the national average in all eight measures of student satisfaction.

A table depicting student satisfaction

Note: In a normal distribution, the 75th percentile is .6745 standard deviations above the mean.

 

Chart depicting students' satisfaction with SMC

Source: Winter 2012, Spring 2015, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, and Spring 2021 Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Surveys

 

SMC's graduation rate is consistently above the state average. 

Chart depicting graduation rates for full time, first time students at SMC, Michigan 2-year schools and national 2-year schools. SMCs graduation rate is consistently higher than the Michigan average.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey
Methodology/Definitions: Cohort based on full-time, first-time, degree or certificate-seeking students who complete a degree or certification within 150% of the start date (typically defined as 3 years for an associate degree). Michigan and National Two Year Public graduation rate is calculated using the IPEDS Data Center (Graduation Rate, Total Cohort).


SMC's graduation + transfer rate is consistently above the state and national average.

Chart showing the 150 percent graduation and transfer rate for full time, first time students at SMC, Michigan 2-year schools and public 2-year schools. SMCs rate has been consistently higher than the state and national average.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey
Methodology/Definitions: Cohort based on full-time, first-time, degree or certificate seeking students who complete a degree or certificate or transfer within 150% of the start date (typically defined as 3 years for an associate degree). Michigan and National Two Year Public graduation rate is calculated using the IPEDS Data Center (Summary Tables Report, Graduation Rate added to Transfer-Out Rate).


SMC has awarded over 6,000 degrees since 2000.

Graph depicting the number of degrees awarded at SMC since 2001. The target is 350-400. It peaked at 397 in 2015-16. Preliminary estimates for 2019-20 is 297.Methodology/Definitions: This metric is the number of Associate Degrees awarded July 1 to June 30 of the designated year. Note: this is the number of awards, not the number of students. Students can earn multiple awards.