SMC vs. Las Positas College

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

 SMC Las Positas College
Location Santa Monica, CA Livermore, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 22,375 6,724
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smc.edu laspositascollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SMC Las Positas College
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,048 $8,112
Room & Board $11,556 $23,076
Avg Net Price $6,656 $5,342
Avg Grant Aid $4,650 $5,959
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 56%

Admission

 SMC Las Positas College
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 SMC Las Positas College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (69%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (49%)
  • Work and Family Studies (14%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • General Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 SMC Las Positas College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 45% 41%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,500 N/A
Median Loan Payment $67 N/A

Diversity

 SMC Las Positas College
% Men 44% 47%
% Women 56% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 26% 41%
% Black 9% 5%
% Hispanic 38% 29%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 SMC Las Positas College
% In-State 76% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than Las Positas College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 6,724 students)

SMC vs. Las Positas College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SMC or Las Positas College?

  • Santa Monica College and Las Positas College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.5% higher at SMC than Las Positas College ($9,048.00 vs. $8,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Las Positas College than SMC ($5,342 vs. $6,656)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 99.7% lower than costs at Las Positas College ($11,556 vs. $23,076)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Monica College than Las Positas College (64% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Las Positas College students is 28.2% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($5,959 vs. $4,650)

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

SMC vs. Las Positas College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SMC or Las Positas College? 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 Las Positas College and SMC.

  • Graduates from Las Positas College earn on average $2,700 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($41,700 vs. $39,000)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Las Positas College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 41%)

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