RHC vs. SMC

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

 RHC SMC
Location Whittier, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 16,139 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website riohondo.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 RHC SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,316 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,812 $9,048
Room & Board $17,782 $11,556
Avg Net Price $6,099 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $5,037 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 64%

Admission

 RHC 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 20, 2025 Aug 30, 2025

Academics

 RHC SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (21%)
  • Work and Family Studies (19%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 RHC SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,500 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 34% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $6,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $67

Diversity

 RHC SMC
% Men 58% 44%
% Women 42% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 8% 26%
% Black 2% 9%
% Hispanic 77% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 RHC SMC
% In-State 99% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 RHC 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 RHC based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 16,139 students)

RHC vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RHC or SMC?

  • Rio Hondo College is 19.2% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,316.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.4% higher at RHC than Santa Monica College ($9,812.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rio Hondo College than SMC ($6,099 vs. $6,656)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at Rio Hondo College ($11,556 vs. $17,782)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rio Hondo College than Santa Monica College (80% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rio Hondo College students is 8.3% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,037 vs. $4,650)

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

RHC vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, RHC 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 RHC.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $500 more per year than RHC graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $38,500)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RHC students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 34%)

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