Cerro Coso Community College vs. SMC

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

 Cerro Coso Community College SMC
Location Ridgecrest, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 4,919 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cerrocoso.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cerro Coso Community College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,380 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,510 $9,048
Room & Board $17,253 $11,556
Avg Net Price $11,826 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $6,596 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 64%

Admission

 Cerro Coso Community 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 20, 2025 Aug 30, 2025

Academics

 Cerro Coso Community College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (50%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Cerro Coso Community College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,600 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments - 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

 Cerro Coso Community College SMC
% Men 43% 44%
% Women 57% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 26%
% Black 4% 9%
% Hispanic 39% 38%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Cerro Coso Community College SMC
% In-State 99% 76%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

 Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 4,919 students)

Cerro Coso Community College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cerro Coso Community College or SMC?

  • Cerro Coso Community College is 25% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,380.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.1% higher at Cerro Coso Community College than Santa Monica College ($9,510.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Cerro Coso Community College ($6,656 vs. $11,826)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 49.3% lower than costs at Cerro Coso Community College ($11,556 vs. $17,253)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cerro Coso Community College than Santa Monica College (74% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cerro Coso Community College students is 41.8% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($6,596 vs. $4,650)

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

Cerro Coso Community College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $6,400 more per year than Cerro Coso Community College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $32,600)

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