ARC vs. CSM

Comparable Facts

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

American River College is larger than CSM based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 9,901 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

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

ARC vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or CSM? 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 College of San Mateo than ARC ($5,831 vs. $9,488).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 29.4% lower than at College of San Mateo ($22,086 vs. $31,288).
• College of San Mateo is 3.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than ARC (about $44 more per year; $1,332.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 10.8% higher at ARC than at College of San Mateo (about $1,232 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $11,384.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at American River College than at College of San Mateo (89% vs. 80%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by American River College students is 24.4% larger than aid received by College of San Mateo students ($5,456 vs. $4,386).

ARC vs. CSM Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ARC or CSM? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between CSM 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; CSM - Open admission.

ARC vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and CSM? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from College of San Mateo earn a median of about $8,200 more per year than ARC graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $36,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, College of San Mateo graduates have a $5,233 lower median loan debt than ARC graduates ($7,000 vs. $12,233).
• Among borrowers, CSM graduates have an estimated $54 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than ARC graduates ($72 vs. $126).
• More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (58% 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.