SMC vs. Solano College

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

 SMC Solano College
Location Santa Monica, CA Fairfield, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 22,375 8,426
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smc.edu solano.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SMC Solano College
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,048 $7,560
Room & Board $11,556 $17,253
Avg Net Price $6,656 $7,614
Avg Grant Aid $4,650 $4,859
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 82%

Admission

 SMC Solano 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

Academics

 SMC Solano College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 25:1
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 (34%)
  • General Studies (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 SMC Solano College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $40,100
Making Student Loan Payments 45% 27%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,500 $9,803
Median Loan Payment $67 $101

Diversity

 SMC Solano College
% Men 44% 44%
% Women 56% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 26% 31%
% Black 9% 14%
% Hispanic 38% 28%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 9%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 SMC Solano College
% In-State 76% 100%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Monica College is larger than than Solano College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 8,426 students)

SMC vs. Solano College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SMC or Solano College?

  • Santa Monica College and Solano College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.7% higher at SMC than Solano Community College ($9,048.00 vs. $7,560.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Solano College ($6,656 vs. $7,614)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 49.3% lower than costs at Solano Community College ($11,556 vs. $17,253)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Solano Community College than Santa Monica College (82% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Solano Community College students is 4.5% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($4,859 vs. $4,650)

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

SMC vs. Solano College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SMC or Solano 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 Solano College and SMC.

  • Graduates from Solano Community College earn on average $1,100 more per year than SMC graduates after ten years. ($40,100 vs. $39,000)
  • Santa Monica College students graduate with a $3,303 lower median federal student loan debt than Solano College graduates. ($6,500 vs. $9,803)
  • SMC graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than Solano College graduates. ($67 vs. $101)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Solano College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 27%)

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