Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, California

Public City: Small

Santa Monica College is a public institution in Santa Monica, California enrolling 21,440 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.. Graduates earn a median of $42,193 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid data. The average net price after financial aid is $2,779. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Santa Monica College

Santa Monica College operates as a public institution located in Santa Monica, California (city: small), with a total reported enrollment of 21,440 students of which 33,626 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile’s peer group and cost cohort are determined. Santa Monica College is categorized as “14” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. Admission rate data is not currently reported for this institution. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $2,779, with published in-state tuition of $1,156 and a Pell grant recipient share of 25.6%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $6,450, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. The 4-year completion rate is 36.1%. Graduates earn a median of $42,193 ten years after enrolling, compared with $31,977 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 64700.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 43.7% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.

Quick Facts

21,440
Total enrollment
Acceptance rate
SAT average
36.1%
4-yr graduation rate
$42,193
10-yr median earnings
First-year retention

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $1,156
Out-of-State Tuition $10,708
Average Net Price $2,779

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $1,896
$30,001 – $48,000 $2,442
$48,001 – $75,000 $4,440
Over $110,000 $8,395
25.6%
Pell Grant Rate
3.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$6,450
Median Debt
$68/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

White 25.9%
African American 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 41.0%
Asian 8.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.2%
International 7.9%
54.0%
Female
50.2%
First Generation

Outcomes

36.1%
4-Year Completion Rate
$31,977
Median Earnings (6yr)
$42,193
Median Earnings (10yr)
43.7%
Earning Over $25K
64700.0%
Loan Repayment (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 35 $95,831
Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate's 392 $49,091
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate's 1,436 $46,864
Communication and Media Studies Associate's 160 $29,371

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Santa Monica College?
Santa Monica College is a public institution in Santa Monica, California. Total enrollment is 21,440 students.
How much do Santa Monica College graduates earn?
Graduates of Santa Monica College earn a median of $42,193 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $31,977.
How much does Santa Monica College cost?
The average net price at Santa Monica College is $2,779. In-state tuition is $1,156 and out-of-state tuition is $10,708. Median student debt at graduation is $6,450.
What is the graduation rate at Santa Monica College?
Santa Monica College has a 4-year completion rate of 36.1%.
Is Santa Monica College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Santa Monica College is $6,450, while graduates earn a median of $42,193 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 15% of first-year post-graduation earnings. 64700.0% of borrowers are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $68.

Data Sources

Data as of 2024-25 academic year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Primary: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Data reflects most recent available year.

Institutional characteristics: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) institutional characteristics file.

Earnings: Median earnings 6 and 10 years after enrollment, from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid data.

Program data: Credential-level earnings from the College Scorecard Field of Study dataset.

All federal data sources used on this page

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching used by the College Scorecard.