Santa Monica College
About
Santa Monica College (SMC) is a public community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. The college initially served pre-college high school students, eventually expanding its enrollment to educate college-age and non-traditional students with the intention to transfer to a four-year university. The college has high transfer rates to four-year universities such as the University of California and California State University campuses, being a leader among state community colleges in transfers to the former.
Outcomes & equity
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.
What families actually pay
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Academic programs
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Faculty
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Santa Monica College vs IPEDS peer group
The peer institutions Santa Monica College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSanta Monica College | 36% | — | 23,453 | $3,600 | Baccalaureate |
Antelope Valley Community College District | — | — | 13,532 | $8,263 | Baccalaureate |
Austin Community College District | — | — | 39,727 | $6,306 | Baccalaureate |
Bakersfield College | 50% | — | 30,746 | $4,751 | Baccalaureate |
Broward College | — | — | 30,728 | $20,077 | Baccalaureate |
College of Southern Nevada | — | — | 28,313 | $6,329 | Baccalaureate |
Collin County Community College District | — | — | 39,548 | $8,986 | Baccalaureate |
Cypress College | — | — | 15,924 | $4,683 | Baccalaureate |
Dallas College | — | — | 69,749 | $4,146 | Community College |
Front Range Community College | — | — | 21,970 | $10,854 | Community College |
Greenville Technical College | — | — | 11,999 | $6,246 | Community College |
Henry Ford College | — | — | 11,410 | $576 | Baccalaureate |
Hillsborough Community College | — | — | 21,483 | $4,929 | Community College |
Houston Community College | — | — | 53,253 | $6,738 | Community College |
Lone Star College System | — | — | 73,077 | $9,322 | Community College |
Miami Dade College | — | — | 58,941 | $5,929 | Baccalaureate |
Modesto Junior College | 0% | — | 18,258 | $10,176 | Baccalaureate |
Palm Beach State College | — | — | 25,916 | $9,832 | Baccalaureate |
Pikes Peak State College | — | — | 12,556 | $9,682 | Baccalaureate |
Rio Hondo College | — | — | 17,441 | $11,903 | Baccalaureate |
Rio Salado College | — | — | 18,841 | $8,764 | Community College |
Saint Louis Community College | — | — | 15,649 | $6,458 | Community College |
San Antonio College | — | — | 19,901 | $5,290 | Community College |
San Diego Mesa College | 92% | — | 19,212 | -$904 | Baccalaureate |
San Jacinto Community College | — | — | 31,812 | $7,540 | Community College |
Santa Ana College | — | — | 27,248 | $3,854 | Baccalaureate |
Santa Fe College | — | — | 12,758 | $11,154 | Baccalaureate |
Sinclair Community College | — | — | 19,415 | $5,741 | Community College |
South Texas College | 20% | — | 27,431 | $1,291 | Baccalaureate |
Tyler Junior College | 0% | — | 11,885 | $9,924 | Baccalaureate |
Valencia College | — | — | 47,425 | $10,399 | Baccalaureate |
| Peer group median | 28% | — | 21,970 | $6,458 |
Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research at SMC supports the College’s mission and goals related to institutional effectiveness, student learning and success, and campus climate by providing quality, accessible, and relevant data, facilitating evidence-informed decision-making, and promoting a culture of equity-minded inquiry.
Visit IR office page- Dr. Hannah LawlerDean, Institutional Research
- Anne Marre BautistaResearch & Planning Analyst
- Dr. Rebecca PenaResearch & Planning Analyst (Equity & Pathways)
- Yosief YihunieSenior Research Analyst
- Daniel BerumenSenior Research Analyst
- Christopher GibsonSenior Research Analyst
- Trena JohnsonAdministrative Assistant II
Documents & reports (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planMaster Plan for Education - Santa Monica CollegeThe Santa Monica College Master Plan for Education 2025-2030 establishes a strategic framework aimed at enhancing educational program development over the next five years. It incorporates a comprehensive analysis of demographic, economic, and educational challenges facing the community. The plan was developed using extensive consultation with various stakeholders and a thorough internal and external environmental scan to inform future educational strategies and facilities planning.admin.smc.edu
IR job openings (1)
Institutional Research and analytics roles currently posted at this institution.
Notable alumni (8)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Rivers CuomoArts and Entertainment
- Dustin HoffmanArts and Entertainment
- James DeanArts and Entertainment
- Arnold SchwarzeneggerOther
- Paul Thomas AndersonArts and Entertainment
- Ryan SeacrestArts and Entertainment
- Hilary SwankArts and Entertainment
- Evan LysacekSports
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