Montgomery College vs College of Southern Maryland (CSM)

Montgomery College and College of Southern Maryland, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Maryland, offer diverse educational opportunities to students with varying aspirations. Montgomery College boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while College of Southern Maryland maintains a smaller student body, fostering a more intimate learning environment. In terms of academic offerings, Montgomery College excels in the arts and sciences, while College of Southern Maryland specializes in career-oriented programs. Both institutions offer a vibrant campus life, with a variety of student organizations and activities to engage students beyond the classroom. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two colleges, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	College of Southern Maryland	Montgomery College
Overview
Location	La Plata, Maryland	Rockville, Maryland
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	66.0%	72.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees		$25
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
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: $31,270 Out of state: $35,050
Average net price	$7,549	$7,560
Tuition	In state: $5,640 Out of state: $7,224	In state: $8,070 Out of state: $11,220
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	57.0% Average amount $6,971
Students receiving federal student loan	7.0% Average amount $4,954	7.0% Average amount $4,689
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $5,250	0.0% Average amount $8,390

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,660 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%	17,284 Men 45.0% Women 55.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	0.9%	N/A
International students	0.4%	9.6%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
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	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Liberal Arts Business Computer and Information Science Health Professions Education
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	31.2%	28.6%
Dropout rate	45.2%	31.0%
Transferred out	10.9%	21.4%
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: $67,497 Year 2: $63,546 Year 3: $70,026 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $59,248 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $63,772 Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,373 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $42,272 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $20,876 Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $34,929 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $12,885 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.