ARC vs. IVC

Comparable Facts

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

American River College is larger than IVC based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 8,873 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Imperial Valley College is in Imperial, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Imperial Valley College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Imperial Valley College 31:1.

ARC vs. IVC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or IVC? 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 Imperial Valley College than ARC ($1,890 vs. $9,488).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Imperial Valley College are 58.6% lower than at American River College ($9,153 vs. $22,086).
• American River College is 12.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than IVC (about $140 more per year; $1,288.00 vs. $1,148.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 42.5% higher at ARC than at Imperial Valley College (about $3,764 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $8,852.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Imperial Valley College than at American River College (91% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Imperial Valley College students is 82.1% larger than aid received by American River College students ($9,933 vs. $5,456).

ARC vs. IVC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ARC or IVC? 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 IVC 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; IVC - Open admission.

ARC vs. IVC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and IVC? 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 American River College earn a median of about $7,800 more per year than IVC graduates about ten years after starting college ($36,600 vs. $28,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

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.