# University of Santa Monica

> private unaccredited graduate school in Santa Monica, CA, US

**Wikidata**: [Q7896243](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7896243)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/university-of-santa-monica

## Summary
The University of Santa Monica (USM) is a private, unaccredited graduate school located in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1976 by John-Roger Hinkins, the institution is distinct from the nearby Santa Monica College and is also known by the alias Koh-e-nor University.

## Key Facts
- **Founded:** 1976
- **Founder:** John-Roger Hinkins
- **Location:** Santa Monica, California, United States (Coordinates: 34.0324, -118.482)
- **Status:** Private, unaccredited graduate school
- **Aliases:** USM, Koh-e-nor University
- **Website:** https://www.universityofsantamonica.edu/
- **Distinct Entity:** Different from Santa Monica College
- **YouTube Reach:** As of November 2025, the institution's YouTube channel accumulated over 442,000 video views.
- **Identifiers:** ROR ID: 0145dtj11; GRID ID: grid.440731.5; ISNI: 0000000404434033

## FAQs
### Q: Is the University of Santa Monica an accredited school?
A: No, according to its institutional description, the University of Santa Monica is a private unaccredited graduate school.

### Q: Who founded the University of Santa Monica?
A: The university was founded in 1976 by John-Roger Hinkins.

### Q: Is the University of Santa Monica the same as Santa Monica College?
A: No, structured data explicitly categorizes the University of Santa Monica as "different from" Santa Monica College.

### Q: Where is the university located?
A: The university is located in Santa Monica, California, within the United States.

## Why It Matters
The University of Santa Monica represents a specific niche in the landscape of higher education in California, operating as a private graduate school with a distinct founding history dating back to the mid-1970s. Its establishment by John-Roger Hinkins marks it as an institution with a specific foundational vision, separate from the public community college system in the same city. While it lacks accreditation, its sustained operation and distinct digital presence—spanning platforms from YouTube to LinkedIn—demonstrate its ongoing role as an educational entity for its specific audience. The institution's identification as "Koh-e-nor University" in certain contexts also highlights a complex naming history or identity within educational databases.

## Notable For
- Operating as a graduate school in Santa Monica without accreditation.
- Being founded by John-Roger Hinkins in 1976.
- Maintaining a distinction from Santa Monica College.
- Possessing a unique alias, "Koh-e-nor University," recorded in academic and knowledge databases.
- Maintaining an active digital footprint across multiple social platforms, including a YouTube channel created in 2008.

## Body

### Identity and Classification
The University of Santa Monica (USM) is classified as a private university and graduate school. It is geographically situated in Santa Monica, California. In knowledge bases, it is distinguished from Santa Monica College. It shares an alias with "Koh-e-nor University."

### Founding and Location
The institution was founded in 1976 by John-Roger Hinkins. Its physical coordinates are latitude 34.0324 and longitude -118.482.

### Digital Presence and Media
The university maintains a website at `universityofsantamonica.edu`. Its digital footprint includes:
- **YouTube:** The channel "universityofsantamonica" (ID: UCj09KufA570_NwYUT0ge0yw) was started on March 17, 2008. As of June 2025, it had 215 subscribers and 4,420 views; by November 2025, total video views were recorded at 442,359.
- **Social Media:** The institution maintains handles on Twitter (`UofSantaMonica`), Instagram (`universityofsantamonica`), Facebook (`UniversityofSantaMonica`), Pinterest (`usantamonica`), Vimeo (`usm`), and LinkedIn (`university-of-santa-monica`).

### Academic and Registry Identifiers
The university is indexed in several academic and library registries:
- **ROR ID:** 0145dtj11
- **GRID ID:** grid.440731.5
- **ISNI:** 0000000404434033
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n2012183223
- **Ringgold ID:** 140278
- **VIAF ID:** 247881376

## References

1. Open ISNI for Organizations
2. [Source](http://www.UniversityofSantaMonica.edu/)
3. GRID Release 2016-05-31
4. Quora
5. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
6. YouTube API