ECC vs. SMC

Deciding between El Camino Community College District and Santa Monica College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

El Camino Community College District
Santa Monica College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • ECC Torrance, CA
  • SMC Santa Monica, CA
  • Setting
  • ECC Large Suburban
  • SMC Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • ECC 21,664
  • SMC 23,453
  • Type
  • ECC Public 2 Year
  • SMC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • ECC
  • SMC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • ECC -
  • SMC -
  • Status
  • ECC Non-profit
  • SMC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • ECC
  • SMC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • ECC $1,144
  • SMC $1,156
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • ECC $7,630
  • SMC $10,708
  • Room & Board
  • ECC $19,431
  • SMC $25,908
  • Average Net Price
  • ECC $8,837
  • SMC $5,685
  • Average Grant Aid
  • ECC $6,896
  • SMC $5,540
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • ECC 70%
  • SMC 64%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • ECC -
  • SMC -
  • Admitted
  • ECC -
  • SMC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • ECC Open
  • SMC Open
  • Enrolled
  • ECC Open
  • SMC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • ECC
  • SMC
  • Typical ACT score
  • ECC
  • SMC
  • Average High School GPA
  • ECC -
  • SMC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • ECC -
  • SMC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • ECC Unavailable
  • SMC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • ECC
  • SMC
  • ACT Range
  • ECC
  • SMC
  • SAT Range
  • ECC
  • SMC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • ECC Open admission
  • SMC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • ECC Aug 27, 2027
  • SMC Aug 30, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • ECC 28:1
  • SMC 27:1
  • Popular Majors
  • ECC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Health Professions (10%)
    • Work and Family Studies (7%)
    • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • SMC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
    • Business (8%)
    • General Studies (6%)
    • Work and Family Studies (4%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • ECC -
  • SMC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • ECC $36,400
  • SMC $39,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • ECC 25%
  • SMC 45%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • ECC N/A
  • SMC $6,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • ECC N/A
  • SMC $67

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • ECC 47%
  • SMC 45%
  • % Women
  • ECC 53%
  • SMC 55%
  • Racial Diversity
  • ECC High
  • SMC Very High
  • HBCU
  • ECC No
  • SMC No
  • % White
  • ECC 13%
  • SMC 26%
  • % Asian
  • ECC 13%
  • SMC 10%
  • % Black
  • ECC 14%
  • SMC 9%
  • % Hispanic
  • ECC 51%
  • SMC 38%
  • % Native American
  • ECC 0%
  • SMC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • ECC 1%
  • SMC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • ECC 5%
  • SMC 4%
  • % International
  • ECC 3%
  • SMC 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • ECC 0%
  • SMC 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • ECC 94%
  • SMC 78%
  • % Out-of-State
  • ECC 0%
  • SMC 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • ECC No
  • SMC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • ECC No
  • SMC No
  • Meal Plan
  • ECC No
  • SMC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • ECC Yes
  • SMC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • ECC Yes
  • SMC No

Comparable Facts

Compare El Camino Community College District in Torrance, CA with Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Santa Monica College is larger than ECC based on total student enrollment (23,453 students vs. 21,664 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • El Camino Community College District is located in Torrance, CA (Large Suburban setting); Santa Monica College is in Santa Monica, CA (Small City setting).
  • El Camino Community College District is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Santa Monica College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: El Camino Community College District 28:1; Santa Monica College 27:1.

ECC vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECC or SMC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than ECC ($5,685 vs. $8,837).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at El Camino Community College District are 25% lower than at Santa Monica College ($19,431 vs. $25,908).
  • Santa Monica College is 1% more expensive for in-state tuition than ECC (about $12 more per year; $1,156.00 vs. $1,144.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 40.3% higher at SMC than at El Camino Community College District (about $3,078 more per year; $10,708.00 vs. $7,630.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at El Camino Community College District than at Santa Monica College (70% vs. 64%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by El Camino Community College District students is 24.5% larger than aid received by Santa Monica College students ($6,896 vs. $5,540).

ECC vs. SMC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ECC or SMC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SMC and ECC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ECC - Open admission; SMC - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: ECC Aug 27, 2027; SMC Aug 30, 2027.

ECC vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ECC and SMC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn a median of about $2,600 more per year than ECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,000 vs. $36,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECC students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 25%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.