ARC vs. Mt. SAC

Comparable Facts

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

American River College is larger than Mt. SAC based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 29,971 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Mt San Antonio College is in Walnut, CA (Large Suburban setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Mt San Antonio College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Mt San Antonio College 26:1.

ARC vs. Mt. SAC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or Mt. SAC? 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 Mt San Antonio College than ARC ($8,516 vs. $9,488).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 13.7% lower than at Mt San Antonio College ($22,086 vs. $25,587).
• Mt San Antonio College is 5.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than ARC (about $76 more per year; $1,364.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 20.6% higher at ARC than at Mt San Antonio College (about $2,152 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $10,464.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at American River College than at Mt San Antonio College (89% vs. 76%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Mt San Antonio College students is 26.7% larger than aid received by American River College students ($6,911 vs. $5,456).

ARC vs. Mt. SAC Admissions comparison

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

ARC vs. Mt. SAC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and Mt. SAC? 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 Mt San Antonio College earn a median of about $2,500 more per year than ARC graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,100 vs. $36,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Mt San Antonio College graduates have a $7,733 lower median loan debt than ARC graduates ($4,500 vs. $12,233).
• Among borrowers, Mt. SAC graduates have an estimated $80 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than ARC graduates ($46 vs. $126).
• More Mt. SAC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (45% 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.