Butte College vs. SBCC

Comparable Facts

Compare Butte College in Oroville, CA with Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Santa Barbara City College is larger than Butte College based on total student enrollment (12,334 students vs. 10,968 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Butte College is located in Oroville, CA (Distant Rural setting); Santa Barbara City College is in Santa Barbara, CA (Small City setting).
• Butte College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Santa Barbara City College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Butte College 21:1; Santa Barbara City College 24:1.

Butte College vs. SBCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Butte College or SBCC? 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 Butte College than SBCC ($9,112 vs. $14,186).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Butte College are 19% lower than at Santa Barbara City College ($17,894 vs. $22,086).
• Butte College is 9.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than SBCC (about $116 more per year; $1,356.00 vs. $1,240.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 12.5% higher at SBCC than at Butte College (about $1,156 more per year; $10,432.00 vs. $9,276.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Butte College than at Santa Barbara City College (88% vs. 41%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Butte College students is 13.4% larger than aid received by Santa Barbara City College students ($6,677 vs. $5,889).

Butte College vs. SBCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Butte College or SBCC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SBCC and Butte College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Butte College - Open admission; SBCC - Open admission.
• Typical fall application deadline: SBCC Aug 19, 2027.

Butte College vs. SBCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Butte College and SBCC? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Santa Barbara City College earn a median of about $4,000 more per year than Butte College graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,400 vs. $36,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Santa Barbara City College graduates have a $4,478 lower median loan debt than Butte College graduates ($9,500 vs. $13,978).
• Among borrowers, SBCC graduates have an estimated $46 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Butte College graduates ($98 vs. $144).
• More SBCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Butte College students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 32%)

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.