College Scorecard
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $11,162. College Scorecard.
Higher than 16% of California colleges we cover and 20% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 9% of California colleges we cover and 18% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SMC acceptance rate & admissions
Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SMC tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
SMC majors, earnings & careers
Santa Monica College offers 1 bachelor's majors across 1 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 1
Highest-earning majors at SMC
Not enough graduates in any one major to report earnings.
Quick list of all 1 majors
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Living in Los Angeles
Overall prices in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,964. Housing costs 70% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 13 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); wildfire (very high); river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Los Angeles County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Los Angeles County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SMC with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica College | — | $2,779 | 36% | $42,193 | This school |
| Santa Ana College | — | $3,133 | 31% | $43,552 | |
| San Diego Mesa College | — | $5,814 | 35% | $45,120 | |
| Cypress College | — | $4,606 | 37% | $43,533 | |
| Modesto Junior College | — | $2,818 | 30% | $42,368 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Santa Monica College would cost you $354 less per year than Santa Ana College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Santa Monica College.
- Santa Ana College gives aided families $859 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | SMC | SAC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $11,162 | $12,375 | −$1,213 |
| Average grants | −$8,383 | −$9,242 | +$859 |
| You pay | $2,779 | $3,133 | −$354 |
“+” means SMC costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about SMC
How much does Santa Monica College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $11,162 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $2,779 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $1,896 and families earning $110k+ pay $8,395.
How much do SMC graduates earn?
Former Santa Monica College students earn a median $42,193 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SMC graduation rate?
36% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years.
Is SMC the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing SMC with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Santa Monica College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/santa-monica-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).