Santa Monica College

Santa Monica College’s nursing programs are based at the main campus at 1900 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, with coursework and required in person testing conducted on campus. The location sits just south of the I-10 (Santa Monica Freeway) and a short drive from the beach districts and Downtown Santa Monica; students commuting from West LA, Culver City, or the South Bay should plan around heavy peak traffic on the 10 and 405. Science prerequisites must include an on ground lab component for Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology (for courses completed Fall 2022 or later), which matters if you are trying to mix SMC classes with other colleges.

SMC is a public community college offering two nursing pathways: a traditional Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and an LVN to ADN advanced placement option. Both are built around a California Board of Registered Nursing approved, ACEN accredited curriculum leading to an Associate in Science degree and eligibility for the NCLEX-RN. Admission is competitive and uses a multicriteria points process; eligible applicants are invited to take the NLN NEX entrance exam (SMC does not use TEAS). Applicants also need to meet program requirements such as background check, drug screening, and clinical health clearances.

The ADN plan is structured across four semesters of nursing coursework, moving from fundamentals and dosage calculations into adult health, mental health, maternal newborn, pediatrics, and leadership. The LVN to ADN track requires a CA LVN license plus additional requirements (including IV certification and recent direct patient care experience), then places students into an advanced sequence after a transition course.

Budgeting is fairly predictable for program specific expenses: SMC notes about $1,000 in the first semester for items such as books, equipment, uniforms, and tuition, with an estimated total program cost over two years of about $4,000 to $5,000.

On NCLEX outcomes, Santa Monica College’s average weighted RN pass rate is 94.5%, which is above the 2024 California state average of 92.7%. Recent school reported results show year to year variability (for example, 98.59% in 2023 to 2024 and 83.87% in 2022 to 2023), so it is worth looking at multiple cohorts rather than a single year.