Home / Worth-It Scores / California / Santa Monica
Is Santa Monica College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Santa Monica, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Santa Monica sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $42,193 helps, but median debt of $6,450 plus yearly net price of $2,779 creates a tighter path. For context, Santa Monica's net price sits about 57% below the typical 4-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$5,636
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $7,519 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $30,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$2,779
Median earnings 10 years out
$42,193
Median debt at graduation
$6,450
Graduation rate
36%
At Santa Monica, a typical graduate carries about $6,450 in student debt and earns roughly $42,193 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $73 per month, or 2% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Santa Monica is a two year school in Santa Monica, CA. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Shasta
Redding, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $2,878
2-year
Santa Ana
Santa Ana, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $3,133
2-year
Cerritos
Norwalk, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $2,424
2-year
San Joaquin Delta
Stockton, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $2,407
2-year
San Diego Miramar
San Diego, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $3,337
Common questions about Santa Monica
The median net price at Santa Monica is $2,779 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in California? See the most affordable public universities in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →