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SchoolsData as of Oct 7, 2026

Santa Monica College nursing program: how to get in

Associate degree (ADN): requirements, deadlines, NCLEX pass rates and data

Santa Monica, CA · Public · BRN-approved · ACEN-accredited

Santa Monica College ADN in Santa Monica: the last application window closed Jul 17, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PST); selection method: points (ranked); 80 BRN-approved new students a year; listed cost $6,128-$7,128 (Total Program). From the school’s pages and the BRN; details and sources below.

  • Application windowClosed Jul 17, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PST) · next not published
  • Selection methodPoints (ranked)
  • TEAS minimumNo TEAS · Other (NLN NEX - Nursing Entr…
  • Approved seats per year (BRN)80
  • NCLEX pass rate, 2024–25100.0% (65 testers)
  • Listed cost, before aid$6,128-$7,128
Compare ADN programsProgram website
NCLEX pass rate
100.0%2024–25
Blue: this program · dashed: California
’20–21’21–22’22–23’23–24’24–25100%80%
First-time testers
652024–25
Graduates sitting the NCLEX for the first time
71’20–2171’21–2231’22–2371’23–2465’24–25
On-time completion
88%2023–24
Self-reported to the BRN
’19–20’20–21’21–22’22–23’23–24100%60%
Attrition
11%2023–24
Share of students who left the program
12.1%’19–204%’20–213%’21–2213%’22–2311%’23–24

How to get in

Application deadline
Spring 2027: closed Jul 17, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PST) (next cycle not published)See it in the deadlines table
Selection method
Points (ranked)multi-criteria points Details and source
TEAS minimum
Entrance exam, in the school’s words: Other (NLN NEX - Nursing Entrance Exam; TEAS not used)
Prerequisites
4 courses listed by the school See the list
Check yourself against these published rules
Prerequisites you have completed or will finish in time

    A checklist against the school’s published rules only: this is not a prediction of a decision. Section minimums, GPA, grade and recency rules, and anything else the school lists still apply; read the full requirements above.

    Admissions requirements

    Here is what Santa Monica College publishes about applying to its ADN program, taken from the school’s own website, catalog or application documents. Each row links to the page we used and shows the date we checked it. Requirements change from cycle to cycle, so confirm with the school before you apply.

    RequirementWhat the school publishesSource
    Entrance examOther (NLN NEX - Nursing Entrance Exam; TEAS not used)SourceChecked
    Minimum overall scoreNot published by the schoolSourceChecked
    Section minimumsNot published by the schoolSourceChecked
    Minimum GPA, overallNot published by the schoolgood standing at SMC requiredSourceChecked
    Minimum GPA, prerequisites or science2.3 science prerequisite GPA (Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology)SourceChecked
    Selection methodPoints (ranked)multi-criteria pointsSourceChecked
    Application opensJun 29, 2026SourceChecked
    Application closesJul 17, 2026 (passed) (11:59 p.m.)SourceChecked
    Published applicant and admit countsNot published by the schoolSourceChecked

    How we label selection. SEAPHE sorts each school’s stated method into one of five groups: Lottery, Points (ranked), Points and lottery (hybrid), Holistic review or Eligibility-based. The school’s own wording appears under the label, with a link to the page we used. How California nursing schools choose students.

    Published points rubric

    Criterion (school’s wording)Points
    Academic degree (AA/AS or BA+)5
    Relevant work/volunteer experience, direct patient care, past 5 yrsmax 10
    Science prerequisite GPA (3.5-4.0=40; 3.0-3.49=35; 2.7-2.99=20; 2.5-2.69=15; 2.3-2.49=10); -3 per science Wmax 40
    Completed ADN-relevant coursework (ENGL C1000, NURSNG 17, NURSNG 36 graded 3/2/1 = 9; COMM, PSYCH 19, GE areas = 6)max 15
    Life experiencemax 3
    Second languagemax 2
    NLN NEX (160-184=10; 185-237=15; 238-281=20; 282-294+=25)max 25
    Maximum total100 (sum of published maxima)

    Rubric source, checked . Point values are the school’s; they change between cycles.

    Prerequisite courses

    Course names are the school’s; the grey label is the category SEAPHE uses in the prerequisite planner.

    CourseRequirementsSource
    Human AnatomyAnatomy
    Units
    Not published by the school
    Lab
    Yes (lecture + lab; on-ground lab required for courses completed Fall 2022 or later)
    Minimum grade
    C (letter grade; P/NP, CR/NC not accepted); science GPA >= 2.3
    Recency limit
    Within 5 years at time of application (only one science repeat allowed in that window)
    When to complete
    Completed and on official transcript by application deadline (in-progress not accepted)
    		SourceChecked
    Human PhysiologyPhysiology
    Units
    Not published by the school
    Lab
    Yes (lecture + lab; on-ground lab required for courses completed Fall 2022 or later)
    Minimum grade
    C (letter grade; P/NP, CR/NC not accepted); science GPA >= 2.3
    Recency limit
    Within 5 years at time of application (only one science repeat allowed in that window)
    When to complete
    Completed and on official transcript by application deadline (in-progress not accepted)
    		SourceChecked
    MicrobiologyMicrobiology
    Units
    Not published by the school
    Lab
    Yes (lecture + lab; on-ground lab required for courses completed Fall 2022 or later)
    Minimum grade
    C (letter grade; P/NP, CR/NC not accepted); science GPA >= 2.3
    Recency limit
    Within 5 years at time of application (only one science repeat allowed in that window)
    When to complete
    Completed and on official transcript by application deadline (in-progress not accepted)
    		SourceChecked
    College-level transferable English compositionEnglish composition
    Units
    Minimum 3 semester units
    Lab
    No
    Minimum grade
    C
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Completed and on official transcript by application deadline (in-progress not accepted)
    		SourceChecked

    © Enzo Creationz LLC. All rights reserved. You may read and quote this with credit to “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org”, but please don’t bulk-copy or redistribute it. Details

    SEAPHE collected these details from official school pages. “Not published by the school” means we couldn’t find the detail on the school’s public pages when we checked; we don’t estimate missing values. “Could not be retrieved from the school’s website” means the page was blocked or wouldn’t load. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.

    Admissions

    The BRN does not publish acceptance rates for individual schools. Across California’s generic ADN programs, 35.0% of 22,970 qualified applications were accepted in 2024–25.4 This program is approved for 80 new students a year.2 Ask the school for last cycle’s qualified applicants and seats.

    Applied here? Share your results in our 2-minute anonymous survey. It helps future applicants see what other applicants reported.

    California nursing school acceptance rates →

    Cost

    The BRN lists a cost of $6,128-$7,128 before financial aid (Total Program).2 That figure comes from the school’s report to the Board and may not include housing, transport or exam fees. Check the program’s current cost of attendance.

    Key facts

    Last updated

    NCLEX pass rates

    In 2024–25, 100.0% of 65 first-time testers passed the NCLEX-RN, 9.8 points above the California average of 90.2%. Over five years, 94.2% of 309 testers passed.1

    Compare every program: California NCLEX pass rates by school.

    First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, by reporting year

    Santa Monica College (ADN)California, all programs
    80%85%90%95%100%2020–212021–222022–232023–242024–2591.5%91.5%83.9%98.6%100.0%Santa Monica CollegeCalifornia
    80%85%90%95%100%’20–21’21–22’22–23’23–24’24–2591.5%91.5%83.9%98.6%100.0%
    Data source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables; California average is a SEAPHE tester-weighted calculation.Download CSV
    Embed this chart

    Free to republish under CC BY 4.0: credit “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org” with a link back. The iframe updates when our data does; the image is a fixed snapshot.

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    Year (Jul–Jun)TestersPass rateCaliforniavs. state
    2020–217191.5%89.2%+2.3
    2021–227191.5%85.9%+5.6
    2022–233183.9%85.7%-1.8
    2023–247198.6%94.0%+4.6
    2024–2565100.0%90.2%+9.8

    Completion and attrition

    In 2023–24, the program reported 88% on-time completion and 11% attrition to the BRN.3

    Year (Aug–Jul)On-time completionAttrition
    2019–2087.9%12.1%
    2020–2193.0%4.0%
    2021–2283.0%3.0%
    2022–2385.0%13.0%
    2023–2488.0%11.0%

    Self-reported by the program to UCSF for the BRN Annual School Survey.

    Accreditation and program facts

    State approvalCalifornia BRN
    InstitutionACCJC/WASC-JC
    Nursing programACEN
    DegreeADN
    StateCalifornia
    CitySanta Monica
    SectorPublic
    AdmitsGeneric pre-licensure
    Phone(310) 434-3453
    WebsiteVisit

    State approval and program details from CA BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs. Institutional and nursing program accreditation from CA BRN, Accreditation, Attrition and On Time Completion Rates. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.

    What ACEN, CCNE and CNEA mean →

    Get this badge

    Based on its 2024–25 first-time NCLEX-RN results from the BRN, this program qualifies for these SEAPHE badges. Schools are welcome to display them on their website. How badges are awarded.

    Santa Monica College: Top 10 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in California, 2024–25 (100.00%, tied for #1 of 130 programs with 30 or more first-time testers). SEAPHE. Independent; not affiliated with the California BRN.
    Santa Monica College: First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate above the California average in 2024–25 (100.0% vs. 90.2%). SEAPHE. Independent; not affiliated with the California BRN.

    Independent; not affiliated with the California BRN. Each badge links back to this page so readers can check the numbers.

    Similar programs

    Open public ADN programs with 30+ first-time testers in 2024–25, by pass rate.

    ProgramTesters2024–255-year
    Ventura CollegeVentura77100.0%97.0%
    Rio Hondo CollegeWhittier65100.0%97.5%
    LA Harbor CollegeWilmington59100.0%96.9%
    Moorpark CollegeMoorpark52100.0%99.1%
    Mira Costa CollegeOceanside46100.0%96.1%
    Monterey Peninsula CollegeMonterey37100.0%97.2%

    Sources

    1. California BRN, NCLEX-RN Pass Rates, First Time CA Educated Exam Testers, 2020–21 to 2024–25. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
    2. California BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs (cost, enrollment, sector). Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
    3. California BRN, Accreditation, Attrition and On Time Completion Rates. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
    4. California BRN, 2024–25 Annual School Report: Data Summary, Table 3, p. 3.

    SEAPHE Editorial Team. Data updated Oct 7, 2026. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.

    How to cite this data

    Last updated . Please cite SEAPHE and the original public source.

    Suggested citation: SEAPHE. (2026). Santa Monica College (ADN): NCLEX-RN pass rates and program data [Data set]. Compiled from California Board of Registered Nursing public records. https://seaphe.org/schools/santa-monica-college-adn/ (updated Oct 7, 2026).

    Original source: California BRN, NCLEX-RN Pass Rates: First Time CA Educated Exam Testers; California BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs.

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