ARC vs. Butte College

Comparable Facts

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

American River College is larger than Butte College based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 10,968 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Butte College is in Oroville, CA (Distant Rural setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Butte College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Butte College 21:1.

ARC vs. Butte College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or Butte 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 Butte College than ARC ($9,112 vs. $9,488).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Butte College are 19% lower than at American River College ($17,894 vs. $22,086).
• Butte College is 5.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than ARC (about $68 more per year; $1,356.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 36% higher at ARC than at Butte College (about $3,340 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $9,276.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at American River College than at Butte College (89% vs. 88%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Butte College students is 22.4% larger than aid received by American River College students ($6,677 vs. $5,456).

ARC vs. Butte College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ARC or Butte 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 Butte 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; Butte College - Open admission.

ARC vs. Butte College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and Butte 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 $200 more per year than Butte College graduates about ten years after starting college ($36,600 vs. $36,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, American River College graduates have a $1,745 lower median loan debt than Butte College graduates ($12,233 vs. $13,978).
• Among borrowers, ARC graduates have an estimated $18 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Butte College graduates ($126 vs. $144).
• More Butte College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (32% vs. 26%)

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.