SMC vs. California Indian Nations College

Comparable Facts

Compare Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, CA with California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Santa Monica College is larger than California Indian Nations College based on total student enrollment (23,453 students vs. 154 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Santa Monica College is located in Santa Monica, CA (Small City setting); California Indian Nations College is in Palm Desert, California (Small City setting).
• Santa Monica College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. California Indian Nations College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Santa Monica College 27:1; California Indian Nations College 6:1.

SMC vs. California Indian Nations College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SMC or California Indian Nations College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than California Indian Nations College ($5,685 vs. $17,737).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Indian Nations College are 21.1% lower than at Santa Monica College ($20,446 vs. $25,908).
• California Indian Nations College is 569.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than SMC (about $6,587 more per year; $7,743.00 vs. $1,156.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 38.3% higher at SMC than at California Indian Nations College (about $2,965 more per year; $10,708.00 vs. $7,743.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California Indian Nations College than at Santa Monica College (100% vs. 64%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Monica College students is 3.4% larger than aid received by California Indian Nations College students ($5,540 vs. $5,360).

SMC vs. California Indian Nations College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SMC or California Indian Nations College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California Indian Nations College and SMC.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SMC - Open admission; California Indian Nations College - Open admission.
• Typical fall application deadline: SMC Aug 30, 2027.

SMC vs. California Indian Nations College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SMC and California Indian Nations College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Santa Monica College have median earnings of about $39,000 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for California Indian Nations College.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.