Harford Community College vs College of Southern Maryland (CSM)

When it comes to choosing the right college, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. Harford Community College and College of Southern Maryland, both esteemed community colleges in Maryland, offer distinct educational experiences. Harford boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it more accessible to a broader range of students. College of Southern Maryland, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While both colleges offer a diverse range of programs, Harford excels in the liberal arts and sciences, while College of Southern Maryland shines in career-oriented fields like nursing and business. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including student body demographics, popular majors, and more, to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and aspirations.

	College of Southern Maryland	Harford Community College
Overview
Location	La Plata, Maryland	Bel Air, Maryland
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	Rural: Fringe
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	66.0%	68.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,706 Out of state: $25,686	In state: $21,861 Out of state: $24,098
Average net price	$7,549	$7,783
Tuition	In state: $5,640 Out of state: $7,224	In state: $5,427 Out of state: $7,664
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $4,644	72.0% Average amount $3,386
Students receiving federal student loan	7.0% Average amount $4,954	9.0% Average amount $5,034
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $5,250	1.0% Average amount $8,230

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,660 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%	4,596 Men 40.5% Women 59.5%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	0.9%	3.8%
International students	0.4%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Maryland Virginia District of Columbia New Jersey Oregon	Maryland Pennsylvania Colorado New York Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Education Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	31.2%	31.6%
Dropout rate	45.2%	33.2%
Transferred out	10.9%	21.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $57,691 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $61,812 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,903 Year 2: $23,042 Year 3: $30,579 Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $33,332 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $63,788 Year 2: $58,582 Year 3: $61,717 Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,749 Year 2: $28,019 Year 3: $43,159 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,862 Year 2: $20,482 Year 3: $29,351 Design and Applied Arts (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $9,167 Year 3: N/A Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A

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