ARC vs. Barstow Community College

Comparable Facts

Compare American River College in Sacramento, CA with Barstow Community College in Barstow, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

American River College is larger than Barstow Community College based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 3,226 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Barstow Community College is in Barstow, CA (Distant Town setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Barstow Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Barstow Community College 26:1.

ARC vs. Barstow Community College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or Barstow Community College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at American River College than Barstow Community College ($9,488 vs. $14,048).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at American River College and Barstow Community College ($22,086).
• American River College is 16.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Barstow Community College (about $184 more per year; $1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 29.5% higher at ARC than at Barstow Community College (about $2,872 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $9,744.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Barstow Community College than at American River College (91% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Barstow Community College students is 44.2% larger than aid received by American River College students ($7,866 vs. $5,456).

ARC vs. Barstow Community College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ARC or Barstow Community College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Barstow Community College and ARC.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ARC - Open admission; Barstow Community College - Open admission.

ARC vs. Barstow Community College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and Barstow Community College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from American River College earn a median of about $1,700 more per year than Barstow Community College graduates about ten years after starting college ($36,600 vs. $34,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.