East Los Angeles College vs. SMC

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

 East Los Angeles College SMC
Location Monterey Park, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 27,855 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website elac.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 East Los Angeles College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,196 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,828 $9,048
Room & Board $17,784 $11,556
Avg Net Price $12,537 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $6,694 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 64%

Admission

 East Los Angeles 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 30, 2025

Academics

 East Los Angeles College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 East Los Angeles College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,400 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 39% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,816 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $60 $67

Diversity

 East Los Angeles College SMC
% Men 49% 44%
% Women 51% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 7% 26%
% Black 4% 9%
% Hispanic 66% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 4%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 10% 1%

Students

 East Los Angeles College SMC
% In-State 95% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 East Los Angeles 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

  • East Los Angeles College is larger than than SMC based on total student enrollment (27,855 students vs. 22,375 students)

East Los Angeles College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, East Los Angeles College or SMC?

  • East Los Angeles College is 8.3% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,196.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.6% higher at East Los Angeles College than Santa Monica College ($9,828.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than East Los Angeles College ($6,656 vs. $12,537)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at East Los Angeles College ($11,556 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at East Los Angeles College than Santa Monica College (92% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by East Los Angeles College students is 44% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($6,694 vs. $4,650)

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

East Los Angeles College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $4,600 more per year than East Los Angeles College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $34,400)
  • East Los Angeles College students graduate with a $684 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($5,816 vs. $6,500)
  • East Los Angeles College graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($60 vs. $67)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former East Los Angeles College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 39%)

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