Santa Monica College – a two-year community college accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – opened in 1929 with just 153 students. It has now grown to a thriving campus offering more than 100 programs. The school now hosts a student body 32,000 students, of which 2,000 are international students from over 100 countries.

We have an impressive academic record. We are the leader among the state's 116 community colleges in transferring students to the University of California, University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University, and other four-year campuses.

We also pride ourselves on preparing students for careers of the 21st century, in growing fields like interaction design, cloud computing, technical theatre, and global trade and logistics. In addition, the 180+ career-focused degrees and certificates we offer encompass traditional fields like nursing, early childhood education/teacher training, film production, and so many more.