Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Graduates demonstrate consistent earnings growth over time, with median income rising from $31,977 six years after enrollment to $35,735 at eight years and $42,193 at ten years. This represents 32.0% growth from the six-year to ten-year mark, indicating meaningful career progression and skill development.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $6,450 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Santa Monica College students graduate with exceptionally low debt levels, carrying a median of just $6,450 compared to peer institutions at $19,500. Debt ranges from $3,500 at the 25th percentile to $6,750 at the 75th percentile, showing minimal variation and consistently low borrowing across all students.
Santa Monica College's return index ranks at the 14.2nd percentile with modestly below average performance, reflecting the community college model's focus on access over premium earnings. Graduates earn $42,193 ten years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 27th percentile nationally.
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Federal program-level earnings data is not available for Santa Monica College due to the community college structure and transfer focus. Many students complete their bachelor's degrees at four-year institutions, making their ultimate earnings reflect those institutions rather than community college completion alone.
The college's strength lies in providing affordable foundational education and seamless transfer pathways to the University of California and California State University systems. With 52.3% transfer students, the institution serves as a bridge to four-year completion rather than a direct workforce pipeline, making traditional program-level earnings analysis less applicable to the Santa Monica College model.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution spans from $19,286 at the 25th percentile to $66,062 at the 75th percentile, creating a 3.4:1 ratio that indicates substantial variation in post-graduation outcomes. Low-income graduates earn $39,400, demonstrating meaningful economic advancement for this population.
