Healthcare profession students at Samuel Merritt College (SMC) thrive in the midst of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center's cutting-edge care and the College's well-established tradition of academic excellence.

Proudly affiliated with Alta Bates Summit, the College traces its roots to 1909 as a school of nursing named for the visionary Oakland physician Samuel Merritt. In July 2002, SMC bolstered its reputation as one of the premier health sciences institutes in the nation when the California College of Podiatric Medicine (CCPM), one of only seven podiatry schools in the United States, merged with Samuel Merritt and became known as the California School of Podiatric Medicine at SMC.

SMC graduates more nurses than any other college in Northern California. It's also the East Bay's sole source for physician assistants, physical and occupational therapists, and podiatric physicians.

SMC confers doctoral degrees in podiatric medicine and physical therapy; and master’s degrees in occupational therapy, nursing, and physician assisting. The Bachelor of Science degree in nursing is awarded both independently and in conjunction with Saint Mary's College of California, Holy Names University, and Mills College. SMC graduates are aggressively recruited, enjoy high new graduate employment rates, and routinely notch scores above national rates on licensing and certification exams.

SMC operates campuses in Oakland, San Francisco, and Sacramento. SMC's Oakland campus, with its state-of-the-art labs and classrooms, and the East Bay's largest health sciences library, offers an exceptional learning environment. The Sacramento campus focuses solely on exceptional graduate nursing education and provides an opportunity for service to that region. The San Francisco campus provides a rich array of learning experiences for students enrolled in the podiatric medicine program. The College is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and numerous specialized accreditation agencies.

Over the past decade, SMC's enrollment has grown to more than 1,000, comprised of students from diverse ethnicities, geographic origins, and ages.

In 1999, Samuel Merritt College received the prestigious California Governor's Quality Award, making it California's first institution of higher education to be so honored.

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