SAC vs. SMC

Should I go to Santa Ana College or Santa Monica College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SAC 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Santa Ana College vs. Santa Monica College comparison
Santa Ana College Santa Monica College College 3 College 4
Santa Monica College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

SAC SMC
Location Santa Ana, CA Santa Monica, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 23,852 22,375
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sac.edu smc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SAC SMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $8,712 $9,048
Room & Board $19,302 $11,556
Avg Net Price $4,700 $6,656
Avg Grant Aid $7,374 $4,650
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 64%

Admission

SAC 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 Apr 1, 2025 Aug 30, 2025

Academics

SAC SMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 31:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • 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

SAC SMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,500 $39,000
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,500 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $77 $67

Diversity

SAC SMC
% Men 57% 44%
% Women 43% 56%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 26%
% Black 1% 9%
% Hispanic 50% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 4%
% International 1% 11%
% Unknown Race 15% 1%

Students

SAC SMC
% In-State 97% 76%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

SAC 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 Ana College is larger than than SMC based on total student enrollment (23,852 students vs. 22,375 students)

SAC vs. SMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SAC or SMC?

  • Santa Ana 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 3.9% higher at SMC than Santa Ana College ($9,048.00 vs. $8,712.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Ana College than SMC ($4,700 vs. $6,656)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 67% lower than costs at Santa Ana College ($11,556 vs. $19,302)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Ana College than Santa Monica College (97% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Ana College students is 58.6% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($7,374 vs. $4,650)

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

SAC vs. SMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SAC 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 SAC.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $1,500 more per year than SAC graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $37,500)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than SAC graduates. ($6,500 vs. $7,500)
  • SMC graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than SAC graduates. ($67 vs. $77)
  • More SAC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMC students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 45%)

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