CostByCollegePublic, 4-year institution
How much does Santa Monica College cost
Santa Monica College is in Santa Monica, CA. Total enrollment is 23,164 students, with 23,164 undergraduates.
The total cost for one year at Santa Monica College is $18,720 for in state students, living off campus and not with family. For out of state students the total is $26,880. Tuition and fees alone come to $1,156 of that total.
The cost breakdown
This school does not publish a complete on campus cost, so the total below uses the off campus figures for room, board, and other expenses, for a student who is not living with family. Each total is the sum of the rows above it, with nothing added and nothing left out.
| Item | Cost for one year |
|---|---|
| Tuition, in state | $1,104 |
| Required fees, in state | $52 |
| Books and supplies | $1,746 |
| Room and board, off campus | $11,556 |
| Other expenses, off campus | $4,262 |
| Total cost for one year, in state | $18,720 |
Total cost for out of state students
Students from outside California pay a higher tuition rate at Santa Monica College. Every other part of the cost is the same.
| Item | Cost for one year |
|---|---|
| Tuition, out of state | $9,264 |
| Required fees, out of state | $52 |
| Books and supplies | $1,746 |
| Room and board, off campus | $11,556 |
| Other expenses, off campus | $4,262 |
| Total cost for one year, out of state | $26,880 |
Average net price
The average net price at Santa Monica College is $5,636 for one year. Net price is the total cost minus grant and scholarship aid, averaged across full time, first time students who received federal student aid and paid the in state or in district rate, for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. It is an average, not a quote. A particular student can pay far less or close to the full published total, depending on family income and the aid the school offers.
That average net price is $12,368 below the average of $18,004 across the pilot schools on this site that publish a net price.
Cost weighed against outcomes
Median earnings ten years after entry are $42,193 a year. That figure covers students who received federal aid, who were working and not enrolled in further study at the ten year mark.
Median debt at graduation is $6,450. That is the median federal loan debt of students who completed a program at this school.
Put together, one year of median earnings at the ten year mark is about 6.5 times the median debt at graduation. That framing is rough. Earnings grow over a career, debt is usually repaid over many years, and both figures are medians across large groups, not a result any one student is promised.
The graduation rate is 36%. It measures the share of a starting cohort that finished within one and a half times the normal program length.
How this school compares
Against its state: That is $22,907 below the California pilot school average of $41,627.
Against the country: That is $23,943 below the national pilot school average of $42,663.
State and national averages here are simple averages across the pilot schools that publish a total cost, 49 schools in California and 293 schools nationwide on this site. They describe the schools listed on this site, not every college in the state or the country.
Admissions at a glance
No acceptance rate or application count is published for Santa Monica College in the federal admissions data used here, so none is shown and there is no acceptance rate page for this school on this site.
Similar schools to compare
- California State University-Fresno, Fresno, California. Total cost $23,750 for one year.
- California State University-Northridge, Northridge, California. Total cost $24,271 for one year.
- California State University-San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California. Total cost $25,197 for one year.
- Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, California. Total cost $27,746 for one year.
- Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, California. Total cost $27,768 for one year.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Santa Monica College cost per year?
The total cost for one year at Santa Monica College is $18,720 for in state students, living off campus and not with family. It counts tuition, required fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other expenses. For out of state students the total is $26,880.
What is the average net price at Santa Monica College?
The average net price at Santa Monica College is $5,636 for one year, for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Net price is the total cost minus grant and scholarship aid, averaged across the students described on this page.
What do graduates of Santa Monica College earn and owe?
Median earnings ten years after entry are $42,193 a year, and median debt at graduation is $6,450, in the College Scorecard data used here. Both are medians across large groups, not a promise for any one student.
What is the graduation rate at Santa Monica College?
The graduation rate at Santa Monica College is 36%, measuring the share of a starting cohort that finished within one and a half times the normal program length.
Is Santa Monica College public or private?
Santa Monica College is a public, 4-year institution in Santa Monica, California. Total enrollment is 23,164 students.
Sources: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Scorecard, United States Department of Education. Tuition and cost figures are for the 2023 to 2024 academic year. Admissions figures are for fall 2023. Average net price figures are for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Earnings and debt figures come from the College Scorecard file dated June 10, 2026. See the methodology page for full detail.