Merced College vs. SMC

Should I go to Merced College or Santa Monica College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merced 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Merced College vs. Santa Monica College comparison
Merced College Santa Monica College College 3 College 4
Santa Monica College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Merced College SMC
Location Merced, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 10,214 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mccd.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merced College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $7,800 $9,048
Room & Board $17,784 $11,556
Avg Net Price $6,934 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $7,004 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 64%

Admission

Merced 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

Merced College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (23%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Merced College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $30,300 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments - 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

Merced College SMC
% Men 40% 44%
% Women 60% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 22% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 59% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Merced College SMC
% In-State 96% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

Merced 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 Merced College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 10,214 students)

Merced College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merced College or SMC?

  • Merced 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 16% higher at SMC than Merced College ($9,048.00 vs. $7,800.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Merced College ($6,656 vs. $6,934)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at Merced College ($11,556 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merced College than Santa Monica College (95% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merced College students is 50.6% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($7,004 vs. $4,650)

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

Merced College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merced 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 Merced College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $8,700 more per year than Merced College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $30,300)

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