The ESL Department offers a wide variety of courses that can be divided into core courses and support courses. There are four levels in the ESL Credit Program: ESL 10G/10W, ESL 11A, ESL 19A, & ESL 19B. The course level you should start at depends on a variety of factors, such as how long you have studied English and your experience living or spending time in an English-speaking environment.

Santa Monica College uses an ESL Guided Self-Placement process to help you determine which core course is right for you. The ESL Guided Self-Placement is a part of the SMC enrollment process and can be found in the Corsair Connect portal.

In addition to the core classes, the ESL Department offers many support courses to further help you develop your grammar, reading, vocabulary, speaking, and pronunciation skills.

Santa Monica College – a two-year community college accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – opened in 1929 with just 153 students. It has now grown to a thriving campus with more than 32,000 students and offerings in more than 100 fields of study.

We have an impressive academic record. We are the leader among the state's 116 community colleges in transferring students to the University of California, University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University, and other four-year campuses.

Santa Monica College is one of the most affordable institutions of higher education in the world. And we have an active Financial Aid & Scholarships office that will help you get the funds you need to pay for your college education.