Saddleback College vs. SMC

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

Saddleback College SMC
Location Mission Viejo, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 16,660 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saddleback.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Saddleback College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,768 $9,048
Room & Board $20,452 $11,556
Avg Net Price $6,940 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $5,062 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 64%

Admission

Saddleback 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

Saddleback College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Psychology (4%)
  • Work and Family Studies (2%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Saddleback College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,300 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,120 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $63 $67

Diversity

Saddleback College SMC
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 26%
% Black 2% 9%
% Hispanic 25% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 3% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Saddleback College SMC
% In-State 93% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

Saddleback 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 Saddleback College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 16,660 students)

Saddleback College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saddleback College or SMC?

  • Saddleback 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 8% higher at Saddleback College than Santa Monica College ($9,768.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Saddleback College ($6,656 vs. $6,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 77% lower than costs at Saddleback College ($11,556 vs. $20,452)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Saddleback College as Santa Monica College (64% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saddleback College students is 8.9% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,062 vs. $4,650)

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

Saddleback College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saddleback 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 Saddleback College.

  • Graduates from Saddleback College earn on average $5,300 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($44,300 vs. $39,000)
  • Saddleback College students graduate with a $380 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($6,120 vs. $6,500)
  • Saddleback College graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($63 vs. $67)
  • More Saddleback College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMC students, three years after graduation. (46% vs. 45%)

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