SMC vs. Southwestern College

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

SMC Southwestern College
Location Santa Monica, CA Chula Vista, CA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 22,375 16,530
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smc.edu swccd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SMC Southwestern College
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,048 $9,436
Room & Board $11,556 $22,086
Avg Net Price $6,656 $13,362
Avg Grant Aid $4,650 $6,613
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 84%

Admission

SMC Southwestern 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 Southwestern College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 22:1
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 (28%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (3%)

Outcomes

SMC Southwestern College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,000 $34,100
Making Student Loan Payments 45% 36%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,500 $4,500
Median Loan Payment $67 $46

Diversity

SMC Southwestern College
% Men 44% 45%
% Women 56% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 26% 10%
% Black 9% 5%
% Hispanic 38% 69%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 0%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

SMC Southwestern College
% In-State 76% 91%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

SMC Southwestern 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 Southwestern College based on total student enrollment (22,375 students vs. 16,530 students)

SMC vs. Southwestern College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SMC or Southwestern College?

  • Southwestern College is 16.7% more expensive to attend than SMC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.3% higher at Southwestern College than Santa Monica College ($9,436.00 vs. $9,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Monica College than Southwestern College ($6,656 vs. $13,362)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Monica College are 91.1% lower than costs at Southwestern College ($11,556 vs. $22,086)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southwestern College than Santa Monica College (84% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southwestern College students is 42.2% larger than aid received Santa Monica College ($6,613 vs. $4,650)

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

SMC vs. Southwestern College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from Santa Monica College earn on average $4,900 more per year than Southwestern College graduates after ten years. ($39,000 vs. $34,100)
  • Southwestern College students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than SMC graduates. ($4,500 vs. $6,500)
  • Southwestern College graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than SMC graduates. ($46 vs. $67)
  • More SMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwestern College students, three years after graduation. (45% vs. 36%)

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