California community colleges guide · By CalChannel Editorial Team · Updated October 5, 2026
Santa Monica College is a public community college in Santa Monica with open admission and enrollment fees of $46 per unit for California residents. SMC says it is the No. 1 transfer college to the University of California and has led the nation in UC transfers for more than 35 years. College Navigator reports 23,453 students in Fall 2024 and a 2024-25 cost of $7,164 for students living with family.
Santa Monica College, or SMC, is best known as a launch pad to UCLA and other top universities. It’s a two-year college, not a UC campus, but it offers associate degrees, career certificates, transfer coursework and two bachelor’s degrees at a fraction of university tuition.
SMC’s reputation rests on one thing: getting students from a $46-per-unit start to a UC, USC or LMU degree. This guide covers what that start really costs, how the transfer route works and where it gets competitive, using SMC’s own figures, its Fall 2026 fee schedule and federal College Navigator data.
| Fact | Santa Monica College |
|---|---|
| Type | Public community college, California Community Colleges system |
| Location | Santa Monica, Los Angeles County |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Admission | Open admission for high school graduates and adults 18 and older |
| Enrollment fee, California residents | $46 per unit |
| Nonresident tuition | $416 per unit from Fall 2026, plus the $46 enrollment fee and a $24 capital outlay fee |
| Students | 23,453 (Fall 2024, College Navigator); 60% part-time |
| First-generation students | 57% |
| Transfer record | No. 1 transfer college to UC campuses, according to SMC |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 24:1 (SMC); 27:1 (College Navigator) |
| Average net price | $5,685 (2023-24) |
| Retention (full-time) | 84% |
| Graduation / transfer-out rate | 36% / 15% within three years (Fall 2018 full-time cohort) |
| Athletics | Corsairs |
Sources: Santa Monica College, About SMC and Tuition and Fees; College Navigator (IPEDS). Full list at the end of the article.
In This Article
SMC Basics: Degrees, Certificates and Bachelor’s Programs
Santa Monica College is a public two-year college founded in 1929 and part of the California Community Colleges system. Its official name is simply Santa Monica College, not “Santa Monica City College” or “Santa Monica Community College, Los Angeles.”
SMC offers associate degrees, Associate Degrees for Transfer, career technical certificates and noncredit programs. It also offers two bachelor’s degrees, in Interaction Design and Cloud Computing, under California’s community college baccalaureate program. SMC reports that 57% of its students are the first in their families to attend college and 67% attend part-time, and it serves about 25,500 students across seven campuses in the Santa Monica area.
Is SMC a UC or a University?
No. There is no “UC Santa Monica.” SMC is a community college, separate from the University of California and the California State University systems. Most students complete their first two years at SMC and then transfer to a four-year university to finish a bachelor’s degree.
How to Enroll at SMC
No. Like other California community colleges, SMC has open admission: anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent, or anyone 18 or older who can benefit from instruction, can enroll. There is no acceptance rate in the usual sense. Applications go through CCCApply, the statewide community college application.
Some programs, such as nursing and certain career programs, have their own application requirements and limited seats. And the real competition comes later, when students apply to transfer to selective universities.
SMC Fees, Fee Waivers and Living Costs
California residents pay the statewide enrollment fee of $46 per unit, so a full-time load of 15 units costs $690 per semester in enrollment fees, plus small campus fees such as a health fee and student representation fee. Nonresidents and international students pay nonresident tuition of $416 per unit starting in Fall 2026, plus a $24 per-unit capital outlay fee.
| SMC costs | Amount |
|---|---|
| Enrollment fee, California residents | $46 per unit |
| Nonresident tuition (Fall 2026) | $416 per unit, plus $46 enrollment fee and $24 capital outlay fee |
| In-state tuition and fees, full-time year (2024-25) | $1,156 |
| Total estimated cost, living with family (2024-25) | $7,164 |
| Total estimated cost, living off campus (2024-25) | $25,908 |
| Average net price for aided students (2023-24) | $5,685 |
Sources: Santa Monica College, Tuition and Fees (Fall 2026); College Navigator, estimated expenses for full-time beginning students (2024-25). SMC has no campus housing.
Many students pay nothing in enrollment fees. SMC reports that 44% of California residents receive a fee waiver through the California College Promise Grant, and the SMC Promise offers two free years to recent high school graduates who qualify.
Our take: For a Los Angeles student who lives at home, two years at SMC cost a small fraction of two years at UCLA. The trade-off is that SMC has no dorms, so students who move to Santa Monica face some of the highest rents in the region.
Transferring From SMC to UCLA
Transfer is what SMC is known for. The college says it is the No. 1 transfer college to University of California campuses, Loyola Marymount University and USC, and that it has led the nation in transfers to the UC system for more than 35 years. Its graduates regularly transfer to UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, USC and other top universities.
Transfer admission is never automatic. UCLA admitted 22.2% of all transfer applicants for Fall 2026, or 6,796 of 30,668, according to the University of California. Students still need to meet each university’s transfer GPA and complete major preparation courses, and UCLA’s most competitive majors are very selective. Students aiming for a UC should work with SMC’s Transfer Center early, complete IGETC or major-specific requirements, and consider the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee at participating campuses.
Main Campus and Satellite Sites
SMC’s main campus is on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, a coastal city in western Los Angeles County, a short trip from the beach and the Santa Monica Pier. The college also runs satellite campuses, including its Center for Media and Design and its Bundy campus. SMC has no campus housing, so most students commute, including by the Metro E Line and Big Blue Bus.
Film, Design and Career Programs
Beyond transfer, SMC is known for its film, media and design programs, a large international student population, and career programs tied to the Los Angeles economy. It was historically a Hispanic-Serving Institution and has been designated a Black-Serving Institution under California law.
SMC’s athletic teams are the Corsairs, a nautical name that fits its coastal setting, and they compete in California community college athletics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Santa Monica College acceptance rate?
SMC has open admission, so it doesn’t have an acceptance rate in the traditional sense. High school graduates and adults 18 or older can enroll.
Can I transfer from SMC to UCLA?
Yes. SMC says it is the No. 1 transfer college to the UC system, and many of its students transfer to UCLA. Admission still depends on meeting UCLA’s transfer GPA and major preparation requirements.
Is “UC Santa Monica” a real school?
No. There is no UC campus in Santa Monica. Santa Monica College is a community college, separate from the University of California.
How much does Santa Monica College cost?
California residents pay $46 per unit in enrollment fees, or about $1,380 for 30 units a year, plus small campus fees. Many students qualify for a fee waiver.
What is SMC’s mascot?
SMC’s athletic teams are the Corsairs.
Is SMC the Right Start for You?
Santa Monica College is an open-admission community college with one of the strongest transfer records in the country, especially to the UC system and UCLA. At $46 per unit for California residents, it’s a low-cost way to complete the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. Compare it with Santa Barbara City College and other California community colleges.
If you plan to transfer, start working with SMC’s Transfer Center in your first semester. Compare SMC with Pasadena City College, Orange Coast College, Diablo Valley College and other California community colleges.
Sources
- Santa Monica College. “About SMC.” smc.edu.
- Santa Monica College. “Tuition and Fees.” smc.edu.
- National Center for Education Statistics. “College Navigator: Santa Monica College.”
- University of California. “UCLA Transfer Admit Data, Fall 2026.” universityofcalifornia.edu.
- Wikipedia. “Santa Monica College.” Wikipedia.org.
CalChannel Editorial Team California college guides
The CalChannel editorial team researches and writes guides to California colleges, admissions and financial aid. We build our college profiles and aid guides from colleges’ own published data, federal IPEDS data and the California Student Aid Commission. Read our editorial policy.
