Monterey Peninsula College vs. SMC

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

Monterey Peninsula College SMC
Location Monterey, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 6,514 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mpc.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Monterey Peninsula College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $8,280 $9,048
Room & Board $30,771 $11,556
Avg Net Price $11,977 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $4,594 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 64%

Admission

Monterey Peninsula 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 29, 2025 Aug 30, 2025

Academics

Monterey Peninsula College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Monterey Peninsula College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,900 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 31% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

Monterey Peninsula College SMC
% Men 44% 44%
% Women 56% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 26%
% Black 4% 9%
% Hispanic 37% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

Monterey Peninsula College SMC
% In-State 94% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Monterey Peninsula College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Monterey Peninsula College or SMC?

  • Monterey Peninsula 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 9.3% higher at SMC than Monterey Peninsula College ($9,048.00 vs. $8,280.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Monterey Peninsula College ($6,656 vs. $11,977)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 166.3% lower than costs at Monterey Peninsula College ($11,556 vs. $30,771)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Monterey Peninsula College than Santa Monica College (79% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Monica College students is 1.2% larger than aid received Monterey Peninsula College ($4,650 vs. $4,594)

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

Monterey Peninsula College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Monterey Peninsula 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 Monterey Peninsula College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $100 more per year than Monterey Peninsula College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $38,900)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Monterey Peninsula College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 31%)

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