by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Santa Monica College, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
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Cost of attendance at Santa Monica College came in between $11,353.00 ranging to $20,905.00 based on in-state versus out-of-state status.
In-state students paid the lower published figure, while out-of-state students faced the higher one: roughly $11,353.00 in-state compared with $20,905.00 for out-of-state students.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $1,156.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,197.00 |
| Total cost | $11,353.00 |
| That is 41% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $11,353.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$8,383.00 |
| Net price | $2,970.00 |
| That is 85% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $11,353.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,266.00 |
| Net price | $2,087.00 |
| That is 89% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $10,708.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,197.00 |
| Total cost | $20,905.00 |
| That is 9% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $20,905.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$8,383.00 |
| Net price | $12,522.00 |
| That is 35% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $20,905.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,266.00 |
| Net price | $11,639.00 |
| That is 40% below the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by around 5.8% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $2,208.00 | $3,143.00 | $12,013.00 |
| Senior year | $2,616.00 | $3,723.00 | $14,230.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $9,633.00 | $13,708.00 | $52,401.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $3,670.00 | $5,222.00 | $19,963.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $111.00 | $158.00 | $603.00 |
| Total amount paid | $13,303.00 | $18,931.00 | $72,364.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $2,208.00 | $3,143.00 | $12,013.00 |
| Senior year | $2,337.00 | $3,325.00 | $12,710.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $4,545.00 | $6,468.00 | $24,723.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $1,731.00 | $2,464.00 | $9,419.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $52.00 | $74.00 | $285.00 |
| Total amount paid | $6,276.00 | $8,932.00 | $34,141.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $12,315.00 | $13,249.00 | $22,119.00 |
| Senior year | $14,588.00 | $15,695.00 | $26,202.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $53,721.00 | $57,797.00 | $96,490.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $20,466.00 | $22,019.00 | $36,759.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $618.00 | $665.00 | $1,110.00 |
| Total amount paid | $74,187.00 | $79,816.00 | $133,249.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $12,315.00 | $13,249.00 | $22,119.00 |
| Senior year | $13,031.00 | $14,019.00 | $23,404.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $25,346.00 | $27,268.00 | $45,524.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $9,656.00 | $10,388.00 | $17,343.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $292.00 | $314.00 | $524.00 |
| Total amount paid | $35,001.00 | $37,657.00 | $62,867.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net price section below.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. It is usually a better planning number than the sticker cost above.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $2,779.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $3,600.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. The table below shows the average net price by family-income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $2,796.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $3,672.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $5,695.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $7,662.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $8,622.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Santa Monica College Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the grants & scholarships detail.
Typical debt at graduation from Santa Monica College amounts to $6,500.00, categorized as a Very Low (<$10k) burden category.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $2,000.00 |
| 25th | $3,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $6,500.00 |
| 75th | $6,750.00 |
| 90th | $11,000.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Dig deeper into debt on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,750.00 |
| Middle income | $5,500.00 |
| High income | $5,500.00 |
Low-income graduates carry $1,250.00 more than graduates from high-income families.
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,750.00 |
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell median debt at Santa Monica College amounts to $1,250.00. This school carries a federal Pell-debt-inequity flag.
The default-rate category at Santa Monica College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 5.5% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Santa Monica College add up to $46,735,212.00 over 6,017 borrowers.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Santa Monica College, a few questions are worth asking:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.