ARC vs. Cuesta College

Should I go to American River College or Cuesta College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ARC or Cuesta College 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. Cuesta College comparison
American River College Cuesta College College 3 College 4
American River College
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Overview

ARC Cuesta College
Location Sacramento, CA San Luis Obispo, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 27,422 9,908
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website losrios.edu cuesta.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ARC Cuesta College
Tuition (In State) $0 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,480 $9,296
Room & Board $17,764 $17,784
Avg Net Price $7,730 $14,507
Avg Grant Aid $4,913 $4,559
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 86%

Admission

ARC Cuesta College
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 Aug 13, 2025

Academics

ARC Cuesta College
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 27:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (20%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Construction Trades (10%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (2%)

Outcomes

ARC Cuesta College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,600 $40,800
Making Student Loan Payments 26% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,233 $11,250
Median Loan Payment $126 $116

Diversity

ARC Cuesta College
% Men 52% 49%
% Women 48% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 46% 62%
% Black 9% 2%
% Hispanic 22% 27%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

ARC Cuesta College
% In-State 96% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

ARC Cuesta College
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 Cuesta College based on total student enrollment (27,422 students vs. 9,908 students)

ARC vs. Cuesta College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or Cuesta College?

  • Cuesta College is ?% more expensive to attend than ARC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $0.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2% higher at ARC than Cuesta College ($9,480.00 vs. $9,296.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at American River College than Cuesta College ($7,730 vs. $14,507)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 0.1% lower than costs at Cuesta College ($17,764 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at American River College than Cuesta College (88% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by American River College students is 7.8% larger than aid received Cuesta College ($4,913 vs. $4,559)

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

ARC vs. Cuesta College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ARC or Cuesta College? 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 Cuesta College and ARC.

  • Graduates from Cuesta College earn on average $4,200 more per year than ARC graduates after ten years. ($40,800 vs. $36,600)
  • Cuesta College students graduate with a $983 lower median federal student loan debt than ARC graduates. ($11,250 vs. $12,233)
  • Cuesta College graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than ARC graduates. ($116 vs. $126)
  • More Cuesta College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 26%)

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