Cabrillo College vs. SMC

Should I go to Cabrillo College or Santa Monica College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cabrillo 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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Cabrillo College vs. Santa Monica College comparison
Cabrillo College Santa Monica College College 3 College 4
Santa Monica College
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Overview

 Cabrillo College SMC
Location Aptos, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 9,149 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cabrillo.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cabrillo College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $8,472 $9,048
Room & Board $21,375 $11,556
Avg Net Price $18,992 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $5,872 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 64%

Admission

 Cabrillo 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 Apr 9, 2025 Aug 30, 2025

Academics

 Cabrillo College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (40%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Cabrillo College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $108 $67

Diversity

 Cabrillo College SMC
% Men 44% 44%
% Women 56% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 48% 26%
% Black 1% 9%
% Hispanic 40% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Cabrillo College SMC
% In-State 96% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Cabrillo 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 Cabrillo College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 9,149 students)

Cabrillo College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cabrillo College or SMC?

  • Cabrillo 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 6.8% higher at SMC than Cabrillo College ($9,048.00 vs. $8,472.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Cabrillo College ($6,656 vs. $18,992)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 85% lower than costs at Cabrillo College ($11,556 vs. $21,375)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cabrillo College than Santa Monica College (81% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cabrillo College students is 26.3% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,872 vs. $4,650)

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

Cabrillo College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cabrillo 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 Cabrillo College.

  • Graduates from Cabrillo College earn on average $1,200 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($40,200 vs. $39,000)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $4,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cabrillo College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $10,500)
  • SMC graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than Cabrillo College graduates. ($67 vs. $108)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cabrillo College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 40%)

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