Santa Monica College Builds on Longstanding Transfer Leadership With New Gains in Degree Recognition and Transparency

In collaboration with Stellic, California’s top community college for transfer delivers earlier, more transparent credit evaluations to help accelerate transfer enrollment and completion

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Santa Monica College (SMC)—ranked the No. 1 California community college for transfers to the University of California system for 35 consecutive years, with a diverse student body of over 23,000 undergraduates—today announced continued momentum in its efforts to make transfer and returning student pathways clearer, faster, and more accessible through a collaboration with Stellic, an academic planning and degree management platform used by more than 1 million students and 90 colleges and universities nationwide.

“Many of our students arrive with prior learning, rich lived and academic experiences, as well as ambitious career and educational goals,” said Dr. Esau Tovar, Dean of Enrollment Services at Santa Monica College. “By providing clearer credit insights earlier, we’re removing one of the biggest barriers students face when deciding whether—and how—to move forward. That clarity helps students plan with confidence and allows our teams to focus on supporting momentum toward completion.”

California community colleges serve more than 2.1 million students, many of whom intend to transfer to a four-year institution—but only about one in five transfers within four years, according to the Public Policy Institute of California Higher Education Center. As the state works toward a goal of 40% baccalaureate completion among working-age residents by 2030, improving transfer pathways is essential to achieving this mission.

Building on a longstanding commitment to student-centered advising and transfer excellence, Santa Monica College has implemented a new transfer credit evaluation process designed to provide students with earlier, more consistent insight into how prior coursework may apply toward their academic goals. The initiative is part of a broader, multi-year effort to modernize degree planning, advising, and enrollment support for the college’s diverse student population.

To help close this gap and as an extension of its longstanding focus on transfer outcomes, in Fall 2025, Santa Monica College launched Explore, a tool from Stellic that standardizes and accelerates prior credit evaluation. By making decisions more transparent and consistent, Explore reduces uncertainty for prospective and returning students and eases the administrative burden on enrollment and advising teams.

As California’s top transfer college for more than 30 years, Santa Monica College has built on that legacy by strengthening its transfer credit evaluation process, improving the speed, clarity, and consistency of how prospective and returning students understand their academic pathways.

“For many students, transfer is one of the most powerful ways to access college and move closer to their goals—but uncertainty about how credits will count can create unnecessary friction,” said Sabih Bin Wasi, CEO of Stellic. “When students can clearly see how their learning applies, they gain confidence in the next steps toward their education and career aspirations.”

This work builds on Santa Monica College’s existing use of Stellic’s Progress and Care products, which are designed to strengthen degree planning and proactive advising for students. The implementation of Explore is part of SMC’s continued commitment to supporting the transfer process for its diverse student population, including through special transfer agreements with top four-year colleges and universities and the SMC General Counseling and Transfer Services. Its efforts have helped SMC maintain its streak as the No. 1 transfer college to the University of California (UC) system for 35 straight years, with 995 SMC students recently transferring to UC campuses in the 2024-25 academic year.

To learn more about Santa Monica College’s General Counseling and Transfer Services, visit smc.edu/transfer.

About Santa Monica College. Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). Historically a Hispanic-Serving Institution, in December 2025 SMC was also designated a Black-Serving Institution following the implementation of SB 1348. For 35 consecutive years, SMC has been California’s leading transfer college to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and other University of California campuses. The college also tops in transfers to the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount University and is the top feeder outside of New York to the Ivy League Columbia University. As the leading job trainer in Los Angeles’s Westside, the college offers robust career education opportunities, with over 110 degrees and certificates in traditional and emerging fields. SMC provides news and cultural enrichment through its NPR radio station KCRW (89.9 FM), the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, and lifelong learning through distinctive programs such as its Emeritus Program for older adults.

About Stellic. Stellic is a leading student success and academic planning platform used by over 90 higher education institutions worldwide and more than 1 million students. The company empowers students, advisors, and administrators with modern tools to streamline degree progress, automate transfer evaluations, and make data-informed decisions that drive completion and engagement. Learn more at www.stellic.com.

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SOURCE Stellic