SMC vs. CMC

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

 SMC CMC
Location Santa Monica, CA Joshua Tree, CA
Setting Small City Distant Rural
Enrollment 22,375 1,402
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smc.edu cmccd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SMC CMC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,048 $9,072
Room & Board $11,556 $17,784
Avg Net Price $6,656 $9,038
Avg Grant Aid $4,650 $6,459
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 95%

Admission

 SMC CMC
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

 SMC CMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)
  • Health Professions (30%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (28%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

 SMC CMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $33,000
Making Student Loan Payments 45% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,500 N/A
Median Loan Payment $67 N/A

Diversity

 SMC CMC
% Men 44% 34%
% Women 56% 66%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 26% 52%
% Black 9% 5%
% Hispanic 38% 27%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 SMC CMC
% In-State 76% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 SMC CMC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than CMC based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 1,402 students)

SMC vs. CMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SMC or CMC?

  • Santa Monica College and CMC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.3% higher at CMC than Santa Monica College ($9,072.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than CMC ($6,656 vs. $9,038)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 53.9% lower than costs at Copper Mountain Community College ($11,556 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Copper Mountain Community College than Santa Monica College (95% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Copper Mountain Community College students is 38.9% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($6,459 vs. $4,650)

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

SMC vs. CMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SMC or CMC? 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 CMC and SMC.

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $6,000 more per year than CMC graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $33,000)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMC students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 28%)

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