ARC vs. SBCC

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

ARC SBCC
Location Sacramento, CA Santa Barbara, CA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 27,422 12,675
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website losrios.edu sbcc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ARC SBCC
Tuition (In State) $0 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,480 $8,760
Room & Board $17,764 $17,784
Avg Net Price $7,730 $14,180
Avg Grant Aid $4,913 $4,496
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 64%

Admission

ARC SBCC
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 19, 2025

Academics

ARC SBCC
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 37:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (20%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Construction Trades (10%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
  • General Studies (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (4%)
  • Social Sciences (3%)

Outcomes

ARC SBCC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,600 $40,400
Making Student Loan Payments 26% 39%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,233 $9,500
Median Loan Payment $126 $98

Diversity

ARC SBCC
% Men 52% 44%
% Women 48% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 41%
% Black 9% 4%
% Hispanic 22% 33%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 1% 9%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

ARC SBCC
% In-State 96% 80%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

ARC SBCC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • American River College is larger than than SBCC based on total student enrollment (27,422 students vs. 12,675 students)

ARC vs. SBCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or SBCC?

  • Santa Barbara City College is ?% more expensive to attend than ARC for in-state tuition ($1,104.00 vs. $0.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.2% higher at ARC than Santa Barbara City College ($9,480.00 vs. $8,760.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at American River College than SBCC ($7,730 vs. $14,180)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 0.1% lower than costs at Santa Barbara City College ($17,764 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at American River College than Santa Barbara City College (88% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by American River College students is 9.3% larger than aid received Santa Barbara City College ($4,913 vs. $4,496)

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

ARC vs. SBCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ARC or SBCC? 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 SBCC and ARC.

  • Graduates from Santa Barbara City College earn on average $3,800 more per year than ARC graduates after ten years. ($40,400 vs. $36,600)
  • Santa Barbara City College students graduate with a $2,733 lower median federal student loan debt than ARC graduates. ($9,500 vs. $12,233)
  • SBCC graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than ARC graduates. ($98 vs. $126)
  • More SBCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 26%)

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