Foothill College vs. SMC

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

Foothill College SMC
Location Los Altos Hills, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 12,434 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website foothill.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Foothill College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,395 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $11,340 $9,048
Room & Board $20,250 $11,556
Avg Net Price $11,013 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $4,300 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 67% 64%

Admission

Foothill 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

Foothill College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (25%)
  • Health Professions (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Foothill College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,400 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,972 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $92 $67

Diversity

Foothill College SMC
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 24% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 9% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Foothill College SMC
% In-State 83% 76%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

Foothill College SMC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than Foothill College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 12,434 students)

Foothill College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Foothill College or SMC?

  • Foothill College is 26.4% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,395.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.3% higher at Foothill College than Santa Monica College ($11,340.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Foothill College ($6,656 vs. $11,013)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 75.2% lower than costs at Foothill College ($11,556 vs. $20,250)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Foothill College than Santa Monica College (67% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Monica College students is 8.1% larger than aid received Foothill College ($4,650 vs. $4,300)

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

Foothill College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Foothill 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 Foothill College.

  • Graduates from Foothill College earn on average $20,400 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($59,400 vs. $39,000)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $2,472 lower median federal student loan debt than Foothill College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $8,972)
  • SMC graduates are paying $25 less per month on federal student loans than Foothill College graduates. ($67 vs. $92)
  • More Foothill College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMC students, three years after graduation. (46% vs. 45%)

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