ARC vs. College of the Desert

Should I go to American River College or College of the Desert? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ARC or College of the Desert is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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American River College vs. College of the Desert comparison
American River College College of the Desert College 3 College 4
American River College College of the Desert
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Overview

 ARC College of the Desert
Location Sacramento, CA Palm Desert, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 27,422 10,382
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website losrios.edu collegeofthedesert.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ARC College of the Desert
Tuition (In State) $0 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,480 $9,100
Room & Board $17,764 $17,784
Avg Net Price $7,730 $13,704
Avg Grant Aid $4,913 $6,758
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 85%

Admission

 ARC College of the Desert
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline

Academics

 ARC College of the Desert
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (20%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Construction Trades (10%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (10%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)

Outcomes

 ARC College of the Desert
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,600 $35,100
Making Student Loan Payments 26% 35%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,233 $5,338
Median Loan Payment $126 $55

Diversity

 ARC College of the Desert
% Men 52% 42%
% Women 48% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 46% 20%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 22% 68%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 ARC College of the Desert
% In-State 96% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 2%

Campus

 ARC College of the Desert
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • American River College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (27,422 students vs. 10,382 students)

ARC vs. College of the Desert Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or College of the Desert?

  • College of the Desert is ?% more expensive to attend than ARC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $0.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.2% higher at ARC than College of the Desert ($9,480.00 vs. $9,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at American River College than College of the Desert ($7,730 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 0.1% lower than costs at College of the Desert ($17,764 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at American River College than College of the Desert (88% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 37.6% larger than aid received American River College ($6,758 vs. $4,913)

Which college is harder to get into, ARC or College of the Desert? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between College of the Desert or ARC .

ARC vs. College of the Desert Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ARC or College of the Desert? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between College of the Desert and ARC.

  • Graduates from American River College earn on average $1,500 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($36,600 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $6,895 lower median federal student loan debt than ARC graduates. ($5,338 vs. $12,233)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $71 less per month on federal student loans than ARC graduates. ($55 vs. $126)
  • More College of the Desert graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (35% vs. 26%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/