Delta vs. SMC

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

 Delta SMC
Location Stockton, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 18,226 23,164
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website deltacollege.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Delta SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,072 $9,264
Room & Board $19,143 $11,556
Avg Net Price $11,586 $5,636
Avg Grant Aid $5,386 $5,515
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 63%

Admission

 Delta 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

 Delta SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 40:1 27:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (46%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 Delta SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,900 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 24% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,000 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $72 $67

Diversity

 Delta SMC
% Men 9% 4%
% Women 14% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 23% 26%
% Black 9% 9%
% Hispanic 45% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Delta SMC
% In-State 93% 77%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Delta 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 Delta based on total student enrollment (23,164 students vs. 18,226 students)

Delta vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Delta or SMC?

  • San Joaquin Delta 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 2.1% higher at SMC than San Joaquin Delta College ($9,264.00 vs. $9,072.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Delta ($5,636 vs. $11,586)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 65.7% lower than costs at San Joaquin Delta College ($11,556 vs. $19,143)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at San Joaquin Delta College than Santa Monica College (74% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Monica College students is 2.4% larger than aid received San Joaquin Delta College ($5,515 vs. $5,386)

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

Delta vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Delta 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 Delta.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $4,100 more per year than Delta graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $34,900)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Delta graduates. ($6,500 vs. $7,000)
  • SMC graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Delta graduates. ($67 vs. $72)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Delta students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 24%)

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