Community colleges are a uniquely American contribution to higher education. Santa Monica College is proud to be a part of that rich tradition of community service and public education. SMC opened its doors as “Santa Monica Junior College” in 1929. A mid-1930s move to a village of wood-framed tents resulted from the Long Beach earthquake. September 1950 saw the groundbreaking for the main campus on Pico Boulevard. Today, SMC offers more than 180 degrees and certificates in six locations in and near Santa Monica.
