College of Marin vs. SMC

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

 College of Marin SMC
Location Kentfield, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 4,283 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website marin.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of Marin SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,380 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,750 $9,048
Room & Board $33,227 $11,556
Avg Net Price $9,564 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $7,262 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 64%

Admission

 College of Marin 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

 College of Marin SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (31%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (25%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 College of Marin SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,500 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 29% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,375 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $148 $67

Diversity

 College of Marin SMC
% Men 43% 44%
% Women 57% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 26%
% Black 5% 9%
% Hispanic 26% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 College of Marin SMC
% In-State 98% 76%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than College of Marin based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 4,283 students)

College of Marin vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, College of Marin or SMC?

  • College of Marin is 25% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,380.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.8% higher at College of Marin than Santa Monica College ($9,750.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than College of Marin ($6,656 vs. $9,564)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 187.5% lower than costs at College of Marin ($11,556 vs. $33,227)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Monica College than College of Marin (64% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of Marin students is 56.2% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($7,262 vs. $4,650)

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

College of Marin vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, College of Marin 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 College of Marin.

  • Graduates from College of Marin earn on average $3,500 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($42,500 vs. $39,000)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $7,875 lower median federal student loan debt than College of Marin graduates. ($6,500 vs. $14,375)
  • SMC graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than College of Marin graduates. ($67 vs. $148)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of Marin students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 29%)

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