ARC vs. PGCC

Comparable Facts

Compare American River College in Sacramento, CA with Professional Golfers Career College in Temecula, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

American River College is larger than PGCC based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 70 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Professional Golfers Career College is in Temecula, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Professional Golfers Career College is a private, for-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Professional Golfers Career College 17:1.

ARC vs. PGCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or PGCC? 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 PGCC ($9,488 vs. $35,686).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Professional Golfers Career College are 31.6% lower than at American River College ($15,113 vs. $22,086).
• Professional Golfers Career College is 1,362.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than ARC (about $17,552 more per year; $18,840.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 49.3% higher at PGCC than at American River College (about $6,224 more per year; $18,840.00 vs. $12,616.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at American River College than at Professional Golfers Career College (89% vs. 16%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by American River College students is 78.7% larger than aid received by Professional Golfers Career College students ($5,456 vs. $3,053).

ARC vs. PGCC Admissions comparison

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

ARC vs. PGCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and PGCC? 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 Professional Golfers Career College earn a median of about $14,300 more per year than ARC graduates about ten years after starting college ($50,900 vs. $36,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Professional Golfers Career College graduates have a $233 lower median loan debt than ARC graduates ($12,000 vs. $12,233).
• Among borrowers, PGCC graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than ARC graduates ($124 vs. $126).
• More PGCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (61% 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.