Merritt College vs. SMC

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

 Merritt College SMC
Location Oakland, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 6,514 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merritt.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Merritt College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $8,472 $9,048
Room & Board $22,066 $11,556
Avg Net Price $17,108 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $3,350 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 64%

Admission

 Merritt 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

 Merritt College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Work and Family Studies (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Merritt College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,800 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 27% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,500 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $118 $67

Diversity

 Merritt College SMC
% Men 37% 44%
% Women 63% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 18% 26%
% Black 28% 9%
% Hispanic 25% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 1%

Students

 Merritt College SMC
% In-State 84% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Merritt 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 Merritt College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 6,514 students)

Merritt College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merritt College or SMC?

  • Merritt 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 6.8% higher at SMC than Merritt College ($9,048.00 vs. $8,472.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Merritt College ($6,656 vs. $17,108)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 90.9% lower than costs at Merritt College ($11,556 vs. $22,066)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merritt College than Santa Monica College (78% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Monica College students is 38.8% larger than aid received Merritt College ($4,650 vs. $3,350)

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

Merritt College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merritt 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 Merritt College.

  • Graduates from Merritt 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 $5,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Merritt College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $11,500)
  • SMC graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than Merritt College graduates. ($67 vs. $118)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Merritt College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 27%)

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