Gavilan College vs. SMC

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

 Gavilan College SMC
Location Gilroy, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 5,484 23,164
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website gavilan.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Gavilan College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,444 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $12,184 $9,264
Room & Board $19,431 $11,556
Avg Net Price $4,607 $5,636
Avg Grant Aid $5,637 $5,515
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 63%

Admission

 Gavilan 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, 2026

Academics

 Gavilan College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 27:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Gavilan College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $33,600 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 30% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,500 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $77 $67

Diversity

 Gavilan College SMC
% Men 9% 4%
% Women 10% 5%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 31% 26%
% Black 2% 9%
% Hispanic 57% 38%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Gavilan College SMC
% In-State 100% 77%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than Gavilan College based on total student enrollment (23,164 students vs. 5,484 students)

Gavilan College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Gavilan College or SMC?

  • Gavilan College is 30.8% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,444.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 31.5% higher at Gavilan College than Santa Monica College ($12,184.00 vs. $9,264.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Gavilan College than SMC ($4,607 vs. $5,636)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 68.1% lower than costs at Gavilan College ($11,556 vs. $19,431)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Gavilan College than Santa Monica College (78% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Gavilan College students is 2.2% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,637 vs. $5,515)

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

Gavilan College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gavilan 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 Gavilan College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $5,400 more per year than Gavilan College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $33,600)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Gavilan College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $7,500)
  • SMC graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Gavilan College graduates. ($67 vs. $77)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Gavilan College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 30%)

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