Butte College vs. SMC

Should I go to Butte College or Santa Monica College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Butte College or SMC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Butte College vs. Santa Monica College comparison
Butte College Santa Monica College College 3 College 4
Butte College Santa Monica College
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Overview

 Butte College SMC
Location Oroville, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Distant Rural Small City
Enrollment 9,362 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website butte.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Butte College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $7,584 $9,048
Room & Board $15,084 $11,556
Avg Net Price $9,634 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $6,316 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 64%

Admission

 Butte College SMC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 30, 2025

Academics

 Butte College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (30%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Butte College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,400 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 32% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $13,978 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $144 $67

Diversity

 Butte College SMC
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 60% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 23% 38%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Butte College SMC
% In-State 95% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Butte College SMC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than Butte College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 9,362 students)

Butte College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Butte College or SMC?

  • Butte College and SMC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.3% higher at SMC than Butte College ($9,048.00 vs. $7,584.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Butte College ($6,656 vs. $9,634)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 30.5% lower than costs at Butte College ($11,556 vs. $15,084)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Butte College than Santa Monica College (100% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Butte College students is 35.8% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($6,316 vs. $4,650)

Which college is harder to get into, Butte College or SMC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between SMC or Butte College .

Butte College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Butte College or SMC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between SMC and Butte College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $2,600 more per year than Butte College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $36,400)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $7,478 lower median federal student loan debt than Butte College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $13,978)
  • SMC graduates are paying $77 less per month on federal student loans than Butte College graduates. ($67 vs. $144)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Butte College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 32%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/