DVC vs. SMC

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

 DVC SMC
Location Pleasant Hill, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 16,097 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dvc.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 DVC SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $8,988 $9,048
Room & Board $20,493 $11,556
Avg Net Price $7,398 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $3,884 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 64%

Admission

 DVC 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

 DVC SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
  • Work and Family Studies (14%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 DVC SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,800 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

 DVC SMC
% Men 49% 44%
% Women 51% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 38% 26%
% Black 5% 9%
% Hispanic 23% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 4%
% International 9% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 DVC SMC
% In-State 86% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 DVC 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 DVC based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 16,097 students)

DVC vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, DVC or SMC?

  • Diablo Valley College 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 0.7% higher at SMC than Diablo Valley College ($9,048.00 vs. $8,988.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than DVC ($6,656 vs. $7,398)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 77.3% lower than costs at Diablo Valley College ($11,556 vs. $20,493)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Diablo Valley College than Santa Monica College (70% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Monica College students is 19.7% larger than aid received Diablo Valley College ($4,650 vs. $3,884)

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

DVC vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, DVC 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 DVC.

  • Graduates from Diablo Valley College earn on average $5,800 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $39,000)
  • More DVC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMC students, three years after graduation. (52% vs. 45%)

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