Fullerton College vs. SMC

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

Fullerton College SMC
Location Fullerton, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 18,370 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fullcoll.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Fullerton College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,384 $9,048
Room & Board $20,949 $11,556
Avg Net Price $10,073 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $6,502 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 64%

Admission

Fullerton 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

Fullerton College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Fullerton College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,300 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 39% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

Fullerton College SMC
% Men 47% 44%
% Women 53% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 22% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 53% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Fullerton College SMC
% In-State 99% 76%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

Fullerton 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

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than Fullerton College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 18,370 students)

Fullerton College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Fullerton College or SMC?

  • Fullerton College and SMC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.7% higher at Fullerton College than Santa Monica College ($9,384.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Fullerton College ($6,656 vs. $10,073)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 81.3% lower than costs at Fullerton College ($11,556 vs. $20,949)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fullerton College than Santa Monica College (87% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fullerton College students is 39.8% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($6,502 vs. $4,650)

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

Fullerton College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Fullerton 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 Fullerton College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $1,700 more per year than Fullerton College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $37,300)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fullerton 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/