The 2025 tuition & fees of Santa Monica College is $1,156 for in-state and $10,708 for out-of-state students. SMC's tuition & fees has significantly risen this year (more than 10%).
Its tuition & fees is lower than the average tuition for 4-year, but associate colleges' tuition of $14,542 based on out-of-state tuition rate.
Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at SMC is $1,156 for California residents and $12,308 for out-of-state students, a 14.9% increase compared to 2025's rate.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | 4-year, But Associate Colleges' Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $1,156 | $9,316 | $14,260 |
| 2024-2025 | $1,156 | $10,708 | $14,542 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 0.00% | 14.94% | 1.98% |
| 2025-2026 Estimate | $1,156 | $12,308 | $14,830 |
The living costs at SMC is $30,170 when living off campus. The off-campus living costs increased by 90.73%.
The SMC's 2025 COA is $33,072 for in-state and $42,624 for out-of-state students. living.
52% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $4,114. It could cover 38.42% of the full tuition amount.
After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $28,958 for in-state and $38,510 for out-of-state students..
| Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-State | |
| Tuition & Fees | $1,156 | $10,708 |
| Room & Board | $25,908 | |
| Personal Expenses | $4,262 | |
| Books & Supplies | $1,746 | |
| COA | $33,072 | $42,624 |
| COA with Financial Aid | $28,958 | $38,510 |
SMC's 4-years tuition is $4,624 for in-state and $46,427 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $4,624 |
| Out-of-State | $11,056 | $11,415 | $11,786 | $12,169 | $46,427 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $4,624 |
| Out-of-State | $11,415 | $11,786 | $12,169 | $12,565 | $47,936 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $4,624 |
| Out-of-State | $11,786 | $12,169 | $12,565 | $12,973 | $49,494 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $4,624 |
| Out-of-State | $12,169 | $12,565 | $12,973 | $13,395 | $51,102 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $1,156 | $4,624 |
| Out-of-State | $12,565 | $12,973 | $13,395 | $13,830 | $52,763 |
Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $172,695 for California residents and $214,498 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $36,660 | $40,675 | $45,167 | $50,193 | $172,695 |
| Out-of-State | $46,560 | $50,934 | $55,797 | $61,207 | $214,498 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $40,675 | $45,167 | $50,193 | $55,817 | $191,852 |
| Out-of-State | $50,934 | $55,797 | $61,207 | $67,226 | $235,164 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $45,167 | $50,193 | $55,817 | $62,110 | $213,288 |
| Out-of-State | $55,797 | $61,207 | $67,226 | $73,928 | $258,158 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $50,193 | $55,817 | $62,110 | $69,152 | $237,273 |
| Out-of-State | $61,207 | $67,226 | $73,928 | $81,391 | $283,751 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $55,817 | $62,110 | $69,152 | $77,031 | $264,110 |
| Out-of-State | $67,226 | $73,928 | $81,391 | $89,705 | $312,249 |
After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $156,239 for California residents and $198,042 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $32,546 | $36,561 | $41,053 | $46,079 | $156,239 |
| Out-of-State | $42,446 | $46,820 | $51,683 | $57,093 | $198,042 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $36,561 | $41,053 | $46,079 | $51,703 | $175,396 |
| Out-of-State | $46,820 | $51,683 | $57,093 | $63,112 | $218,708 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $41,053 | $46,079 | $51,703 | $57,996 | $196,832 |
| Out-of-State | $51,683 | $57,093 | $63,112 | $69,814 | $241,702 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $46,079 | $51,703 | $57,996 | $65,038 | $220,817 |
| Out-of-State | $57,093 | $63,112 | $69,814 | $77,277 | $267,295 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $51,703 | $57,996 | $65,038 | $72,917 | $247,654 |
| Out-of-State | $63,112 | $69,814 | $77,277 | $85,591 | $295,793 |
For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at SMC is $46 for California residents and $444 for out-of-state students.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2023-2024 | $46 | $386 |
| 2024-2025 | $46 | $444 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | $46 | $511 |
The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at SMC. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.
The following table compares tuition & fees between Santa Monica College and its similar schools.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica College | $1,156 | $10,708 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $14,233 | $46,121 |
| University of California-Berkeley | $15,377 | $47,265 |
| University of California-San Diego | $15,788 | $47,676 |
| California State University-Fullerton | $7,470 | $20,070 |
| California State University-Long Beach | $7,374 | $19,974 |
In-State (California Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $172,695, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $1,156 per year, which would total around $4,624 over four years.
Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $214,498. The tuition and fees are around $12,169 per year, totaling about $46,427 over four years.
The in-state undergraduate tuition at SMC is much lower than the average for similar schools ($4,348 - public Associate's - Private For-profit 4-year Primarily Associate's).
The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at SMC is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($9,980 - public Associate's - Private For-profit 4-year Primarily Associate's).
The in-state graduate tuition at SMC is much lower than the average for similar schools ($11,965 - public Associate's - Private For-profit 4-year Primarily Associate's).
The out-of-state graduate tuition at SMC is much lower than the average for similar schools ($20,932 - public Associate's - Private For-profit 4-year Primarily Associate's).
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