ARC vs. City College of San Francisco

Comparable Facts

Compare American River College in Sacramento, CA with City College of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

American River College is larger than City College of San Francisco based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 19,267 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); City College of San Francisco is in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. City College of San Francisco is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; City College of San Francisco 24:1.

ARC vs. City College of San Francisco Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or City College of San Francisco? 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 City College of San Francisco ($9,488 vs. $9,616).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 17.9% lower than at City College of San Francisco ($22,086 vs. $26,907).
• City College of San Francisco is 31.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than ARC (about $408 more per year; $1,696.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 16.2% higher at City College of San Francisco than at American River College (about $2,040 more per year; $14,656.00 vs. $12,616.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at American River College than at City College of San Francisco (89% vs. 56%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by City College of San Francisco students is 34.1% larger than aid received by American River College students ($7,318 vs. $5,456).

ARC vs. City College of San Francisco Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ARC or City College of San Francisco? 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 City College of San Francisco 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; City College of San Francisco - Open admission.

ARC vs. City College of San Francisco Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and City College of San Francisco? 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 City College of San Francisco earn a median of about $4,400 more per year than ARC graduates about ten years after starting college ($41,000 vs. $36,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, City College of San Francisco graduates have a $3,983 lower median loan debt than ARC graduates ($8,250 vs. $12,233).
• Among borrowers, City College of San Francisco graduates have an estimated $41 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than ARC graduates ($85 vs. $126).
• More City College of San Francisco graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (39% 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.