December 1, 2015 -- For the 25th year in a row, Santa Monica College has been ranked California’s top community college for the number of students who transferred into the University of California system.

SMC also topped all other community colleges in the state in the number of African American and Chicano/Latino students who moved on to the prestigious UC system, SMC officials announced Monday.

SMC made the announcement after receiving transfer data for the University of California Information Center for the 2014-2015 school year.
“Santa Monica College is thrilled that we are – yet again – number one in transfers,” said Jeffrey Shimizu, SMC Interim Superintendent/President.

“We are fully committed to preparing all our students for transfer to four-year universities and to equip them to excel, and this latest transfer data confirms our dedication to student success for all,” Shimizu said.

Data showed the Number 2 feeder community college for the UC system was Diablo Valley College in Contra Costa County. At Number 3 was De Anza College, serving the south bay region of San Francisco.

SMC transferred 1,074 students to the UC system, said Grace Smith, a SMC spokesperson.

Smith noted that SMC also maintained its ranking as the top feeder for student transfers to the University of Southern California, as well as to Loyola Marymount University.
She said SMC also continued to be the top feeder west of the Mississippi to Columbia University.

The two-year college saw a steady climb in the number of Chicano/Latino students who transferred to the UC system, Smith said. The total of 141 Chicano/Latino transfer students in 2012-2013 rose to 150 the following school year and continued to climb this year, reaching 184 students.

There were 43 African American students who moved on to UC campuses, providing another top ranking for SMC, the new data showed.

UCLA continued to be by far the most popular destination for SMC students. Forty-four percent of the UC transfers -- or 476 students -- headed to the Westwood campus. UC Berkeley came in second with 128 transfers, followed by the Irvine and San Diego campuses, Smith said.