Palo Verde College vs. SMC

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

Palo Verde College SMC
Location Blythe, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Distant Rural Small City
Enrollment 4,639 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website paloverde.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Palo Verde College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,884 $9,048
Room & Board $17,784 $11,556
Avg Net Price $16,835 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $5,160 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 64%

Admission

Palo Verde 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

Palo Verde College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (36%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Work and Family Studies (13%)
  • General Studies (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Palo Verde College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $29,100 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments - 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

Palo Verde College SMC
% Men 86% 44%
% Women 14% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 45% 26%
% Black 12% 9%
% Hispanic 31% 38%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Palo Verde College SMC
% In-State 96% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

Palo Verde College SMC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than Palo Verde College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 4,639 students)

Palo Verde College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Palo Verde College or SMC?

  • Palo Verde College is 16.7% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.2% higher at Palo Verde College than Santa Monica College ($9,884.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Palo Verde College ($6,656 vs. $16,835)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at Palo Verde College ($11,556 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palo Verde College than Santa Monica College (97% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Palo Verde College students is 11% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,160 vs. $4,650)

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

Palo Verde College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Palo Verde 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 Palo Verde College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $9,900 more per year than Palo Verde College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $29,100)

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