By Lookout Staff

February 25, 2026 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) has been designated a California Black-Serving Institution for its longstanding commitment to "advancing Black student success," college officials announced Monday.

SMC was among 31 higher education institutions -- including UC Berkeley and Loyola Marymount University -- to receive the first of its kind designation by the State’s Governing Board for Black-Serving Institutions, officials said.

The designation was created to "recognize institutions that demonstrate strong academic resources, tailored support systems, and significant progress in advancing the success of Black students."

In the 2024-25 academic year, SMC enrolled 3,334 Black/African American students, easily meeting the threshold of at least 1,500 or at least 10 percent of enrolled students.

SMC also has maintained a 35-year streak as the No. 1 transfer college to the University of California (UC) system, which includes leading in the number of Black transfer students.

The initial designation, which is valid for five years, recognized SMC’s "leadership and longstanding commitment to advancing Black student success, equity, and belonging within higher education."

It also noted that the school "helped to shape a more just and responsive educational landscape for Black students across California.”

SMC established the Black Collegians Program/Umoja Community more than three decades ago to "assist students of African descent in transferring to four-year universities and/or obtaining their Associate degree," officials said.

Other programs and initiatives at the college -- including the Men of Color Action Network, the Student Equity Center and the Pan African Alliance -- form part of a "vast network of support" for Black students.

“This year during Black History Month, Santa Monica College is particularly proud to celebrate being designated a Black-Serving Institution,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery.

“And we celebrate the great work that resulted in this recognition, most notably through SMC’s Black Collegians Program Umoja Community, a recognized pioneer statewide.

"We look forward to intensifying College efforts toward closing equity gaps, to ensure that Black students -- and, indeed, all racially minoritized students -- can thrive and succeed,” Jeffery said.