ARC vs. Palo Verde College

Comparable Facts

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

American River College is larger than Palo Verde College based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 3,833 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Palo Verde College is in Blythe, CA (Distant Rural setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Palo Verde College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Palo Verde College 22:1.

ARC vs. Palo Verde College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or Palo Verde College? 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 American River College than Palo Verde College ($9,488 vs. $22,492).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 14.3% lower than at Palo Verde College ($22,086 vs. $25,767).
• American River College and Palo Verde College have the same published in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 2.1% higher at Palo Verde College than at American River College (about $264 more per year; $12,880.00 vs. $12,616.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Palo Verde College than at American River College (92% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by American River College students is 75.4% larger than aid received by Palo Verde College students ($5,456 vs. $3,111).

ARC vs. Palo Verde College Admissions comparison

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

ARC vs. Palo Verde College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and Palo Verde College? 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 $7,500 more per year than Palo Verde College graduates about ten years after starting college ($36,600 vs. $29,100), 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.