Santa Monica College is a highly affordable, two-year community college that features 80 fields of study. Among the…More 110 community colleges in California, SMC transfers the most students to the University of California, University of Southern California and other four-year schools.</p> <p>The campus is also home to the Broad Stage, a well-known performing-arts venue, the Academy of Entertainment & Technology, the John Drescher Planetarium, and KCRW, an NPR radio affiliate that has gained national repute for its music programming.</p> <p>Chief areas of study include nursing, computer and solar technology, and childhood education. Tuition is only $26 per class, and financial aid is also available for lower-income students.</p> <p>SMC boasts a vibrant international population, with roughly 3,000 students representing more than 100 countries. It has also attracted prominent speakers - including former President Bill Clinton and SMC alumnus Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - to its campus.</p> <p>Other noted alumni include James Dean, David Geffen, Dustin Hoffman, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and Sean Penn.</p> <p>Emeritus College, located in downtown Santa Monica, is a SMC extension school that caters to adults who are 55 years or older.</p>