Harbor College vs. SMC

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

 Harbor College SMC
Location Wilmington, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 7,384 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lahc.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Harbor College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,196 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,828 $9,048
Room & Board $17,784 $11,556
Avg Net Price $12,757 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $7,488 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 64%

Admission

 Harbor College SMC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA 2.5 -
Typical High School Grades C+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 30, 2025

Academics

 Harbor College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (52%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Business (5%)
  • Personal and Culinary Services (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Harbor College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 42% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $4,500 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $46 $67

Diversity

 Harbor College SMC
% Men 39% 44%
% Women 61% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 14% 26%
% Black 11% 9%
% Hispanic 57% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 2% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Harbor College SMC
% In-State 95% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Harbor 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 Harbor College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 7,384 students)

Harbor College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Harbor College or SMC?

  • Los Angeles Harbor College is 8.3% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,196.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.6% higher at Harbor College than Santa Monica College ($9,828.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Harbor College ($6,656 vs. $12,757)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at Los Angeles Harbor College ($11,556 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Los Angeles Harbor College than Santa Monica College (75% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Los Angeles Harbor College students is 61% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($7,488 vs. $4,650)

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

Harbor College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Harbor 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 Harbor College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $2,300 more per year than Harbor College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $36,700)
  • Los Angeles Harbor College students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($4,500 vs. $6,500)
  • Harbor College graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($46 vs. $67)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harbor College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 42%)

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