Palomar College vs. SMC

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

 Palomar College SMC
Location San Marcos, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 17,655 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website palomar.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Palomar College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $10,584 $9,048
Room & Board $22,338 $11,556
Avg Net Price $8,476 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $5,896 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 64%

Admission

 Palomar 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

 Palomar College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Palomar College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,700 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 30% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,000 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $72 $67

Diversity

 Palomar College SMC
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 26%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 40% 38%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

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

Campus

 Palomar 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 Palomar College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 17,655 students)

Palomar College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Palomar College or SMC?

  • Palomar 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 17% higher at Palomar College than Santa Monica College ($10,584.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Palomar College ($6,656 vs. $8,476)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 93.3% lower than costs at Palomar College ($11,556 vs. $22,338)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palomar College than Santa Monica College (80% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Palomar College students is 26.8% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,896 vs. $4,650)

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

Palomar College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Palomar 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 Palomar College.

  • Graduates from Palomar College earn on average $700 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($39,700 vs. $39,000)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Palomar College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $7,000)
  • SMC graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Palomar College graduates. ($67 vs. $72)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Palomar College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 30%)

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