By Lookout Staff

October 26, 2016 -- For the 26th year in a row, Santa Monica College (SMC) has been ranked the top community college in the state in transferring students to the University of California (UC) system, college officials announced Wednesday.

SMC also retained the top spot for transfers to the UC and the California State University (CSU) systems combined, according to 2015-2016 transfer data released by the University of California Information Center.

“At Santa Monica College, we are elated that we continue to hold our spot as California’s leading transfer institution,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery.

“This is a testament to the solid preparation that students receive, thanks to SMC’s top-notch instructors, counselors, and the array of support services the college makes available,” Jeffery said.

In 2015-2016, SMC transferred a school record 1,097 students, far outranking the second-and third-ranking UC feeder schools, which logged 831 and 764 students, respectively, officials said.

The most popular destination for SMC students continues to be UCLA, with 459 of the UC transfers, or nearly 42 percent, going to the Westwood campus. Second was UC San Diego with 137 transfers, followed by UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara.

SMC transferred 2,264 students total to the UC and CSU systems, officials said.

The college also led in the number of African-American and Latino students transferring to UC campuses, with 37 African-Americans and 166 Latinos, college officials said.

“We are thrilled once again by the transfer numbers from SMC because helping students navigate the transfer process is extremely important to us,” said SMC Transfer Center Faculty Leader Janet Robinson.

“The numbers reflect the hard work of our students and the entire Santa Monica College community," Robinson said. "It also helped that the University of California system accepted an additional 5,000 in-state freshmen and transfer students!”

SMC’s Transfer Center "organizes the largest college fair in the state, conducts workshops, holds weekly visits from four-year institutions, and also has a close working relationship with the UC and CSU systems to make sure SMC students get credit for their classes," officials said.

For more information on the academic and support services SMC offers transfer students, visit www.smc.edu/transfer or call (310) 434-4210.