LTCC vs. SMC

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

LTCC SMC
Location South Lake Tahoe, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,519 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ltcc.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

LTCC SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,116 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,072 $9,048
Room & Board $11,751 $11,556
Avg Net Price $11,019 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $3,587 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 64%

Admission

LTCC 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

LTCC SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • General Studies (22%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (14%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

LTCC SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $31,100 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments - 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

LTCC SMC
% Men 61% 44%
% Women 39% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 58% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 27% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

LTCC SMC
% In-State 88% 76%
% Out-of-State 4% 0%

Campus

LTCC 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 LTCC based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 2,519 students)

LTCC vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LTCC or SMC?

  • Lake Tahoe Community College is 1.1% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,116.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.3% higher at LTCC than Santa Monica College ($9,072.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than LTCC ($6,656 vs. $11,019)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 1.7% lower than costs at Lake Tahoe Community College ($11,556 vs. $11,751)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Monica College than Lake Tahoe Community College (64% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Monica College students is 29.6% larger than aid received Lake Tahoe Community College ($4,650 vs. $3,587)

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

LTCC vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, LTCC 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 LTCC.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $7,900 more per year than LTCC graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $31,100)

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