Pierce College vs. SMC

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

 Pierce College SMC
Location Woodland Hills, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 15,372 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website piercecollege.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Pierce 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 $13,422 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $7,154 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 64%

Admission

 Pierce 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 20, 2025 Aug 30, 2025

Academics

 Pierce College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Pierce College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,800 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $108 $67

Diversity

 Pierce College SMC
% Men 44% 44%
% Women 56% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 29% 26%
% Black 6% 9%
% Hispanic 47% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Pierce College SMC
% In-State 94% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Pierce 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 Pierce College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 15,372 students)

Pierce College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pierce College or SMC?

  • Los Angeles Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce College ($6,656 vs. $13,422)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at Los Angeles Pierce College ($11,556 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Los Angeles Pierce College than Santa Monica College (70% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Los Angeles Pierce College students is 53.8% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($7,154 vs. $4,650)

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

Pierce College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pierce 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 Pierce College.

  • Graduates from Los Angeles Pierce College earn on average $800 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($39,800 vs. $39,000)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $4,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Pierce College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $10,500)
  • SMC graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than Pierce College graduates. ($67 vs. $108)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pierce College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 33%)

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