San Jose City College vs. SMC

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

San Jose City College SMC
Location San Jose, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 7,561 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sjcc.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Jose City College SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,408 $9,048
Room & Board $18,126 $11,556
Avg Net Price $20,395 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $5,531 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 64%

Admission

San Jose City 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

San Jose City College SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (30%)
  • Personal and Culinary Services (17%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

San Jose City College SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,200 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 36% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,250 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $54 $67

Diversity

San Jose City College SMC
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 17% 26%
% Black 6% 9%
% Hispanic 44% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

San Jose City College SMC
% In-State 92% 76%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

San Jose City 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 San Jose City College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 7,561 students)

San Jose City College vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Jose City College or SMC?

  • San Jose City 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 4% higher at San Jose City College than Santa Monica College ($9,408.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than San Jose City College ($6,656 vs. $20,395)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 56.9% lower than costs at San Jose City College ($11,556 vs. $18,126)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at San Jose City College than Santa Monica College (81% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Jose City College students is 18.9% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,531 vs. $4,650)

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

San Jose City College vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Jose City 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 San Jose City College.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $4,800 more per year than San Jose City College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $34,200)
  • San Jose City College students graduate with a $1,250 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($5,250 vs. $6,500)
  • San Jose City College graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($54 vs. $67)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Jose City College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 36%)

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