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The real 4-year cost of Santa Monica College in California
Over the 15 years from 2008 to 2023, published tuition and required fees at Santa Monica College went from $508 to $1,156, an average of 0.2% a year.
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition freeze or guarantee, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2027: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $508 | – | – |
| 2009 | $652 | – | – |
| 2010 | $652 | – | – |
| 2011 | $896 | – | – |
| 2012 | $1,140 | – | – |
| 2013 | $1,140 | – | – |
| 2014 | $1,140 | – | – |
| 2015 | $1,136 | – | – |
| 2016 | $1,142 | – | – |
| 2017 | $1,142 | – | – |
| 2018 | $1,142 | – | – |
| 2019 | $1,144 | – | – |
| 2020 | $1,148 | – | – |
| 2021 | $1,146 | – | – |
| 2022 | $1,150 | – | – |
| 2023 | $1,156 | $1,156 | – |
| 2024 | – | $1,158 | $1,013–$1,303 |
| 2025 | – | $1,160 | $888–$1,468 |
| 2026 | – | $1,161 | $778–$1,654 |
| 2027 | – | $1,163 | $682–$1,863 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $1,161 |
| Year 2 | $1,163 |
| Year 3 | $1,165 |
| Year 4 | $1,167 |
| 4-year total | $4,656 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $0
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $2,433
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Santa Monica College4-year schools with similar prices in California
Closest to Santa Monica College by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- MiraCosta College$1,152
- San Diego Mesa College$1,150
- Cypress College$1,146
- Solano Community College$1,172
- Santa Ana College$1,180
- Antelope Valley Community College District$1,124
- Shasta College$1,197
- University of the People$1,200
Use this data
Published figures for Santa Monica College from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.