College of the Desert vs. SMC

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

 College of the Desert SMC
Location Palm Desert, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 10,382 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $9,048
Room & Board $17,784 $11,556
Avg Net Price $13,704 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 64%

Admission

 College of the Desert 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 the Desert SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (10%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $55 $67

Diversity

 College of the Desert SMC
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 68% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 College of the Desert SMC
% In-State 95% 76%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

 College of the Desert 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 College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 10,382 students)

College of the Desert vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, College of the Desert or SMC?

  • College of the Desert is 16.7% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.6% higher at College of the Desert than Santa Monica College ($9,100.00 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 the Desert ($6,656 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at College of the Desert ($11,556 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Santa Monica College (85% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 45.3% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($6,758 vs. $4,650)

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

College of the Desert vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, College of the Desert 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 the Desert.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $3,900 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $1,162 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($5,338 vs. $6,500)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($55 vs. $67)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 35%)

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