College of the Redwoods vs. SMC

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

 College of the Redwoods SMC
Location Eureka, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 4,006 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website redwoods.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Redwoods SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $8,496 $9,048
Room & Board $7,959 $11,556
Avg Net Price $7,634 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $7,398 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 64%

Admission

 College of the Redwoods 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 Redwoods SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (40%)
  • Health Professions (24%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Work and Family Studies (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 Redwoods SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,100 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,261 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $75 $67

Diversity

 College of the Redwoods SMC
% Men 48% 44%
% Women 52% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 58% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 17% 38%
% Native American 7% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 College of the Redwoods SMC
% In-State 96% 76%
% Out-of-State 3% 0%

Campus

 College of the Redwoods SMC
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes 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 Redwoods based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 4,006 students)

College of the Redwoods vs. SMC Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Redwoods and SMC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.5% higher at SMC than College of the Redwoods ($9,048.00 vs. $8,496.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than College of the Redwoods ($6,656 vs. $7,634)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Redwoods are 45.2% lower than costs at Santa Monica College ($7,959 vs. $11,556)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Redwoods than Santa Monica College (93% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Redwoods students is 59.1% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($7,398 vs. $4,650)

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

College of the Redwoods vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, College of the Redwoods 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 Redwoods.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $6,900 more per year than College of the Redwoods graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $32,100)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $761 lower median federal student loan debt than College of the Redwoods graduates. ($6,500 vs. $7,261)
  • SMC graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than College of the Redwoods graduates. ($67 vs. $75)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Redwoods students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 33%)

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