City College of San Francisco vs. Sierra College

Comparable Facts

Compare City College of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA with Sierra College in Rocklin, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

City College of San Francisco is larger than Sierra College based on total student enrollment (19,267 students vs. 19,125 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• City College of San Francisco is located in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting); Sierra College is in Rocklin, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• City College of San Francisco is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Sierra College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: City College of San Francisco 24:1; Sierra College 25:1.

City College of San Francisco vs. Sierra College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of San Francisco or Sierra 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 City College of San Francisco than Sierra College ($9,616 vs. $10,285).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sierra College are 49.3% lower than at City College of San Francisco ($13,631 vs. $26,907).
• City College of San Francisco is 17.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Sierra College (about $250 more per year; $1,696.00 vs. $1,446.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 913.6% higher at City College of San Francisco than at Sierra College (about $13,210 more per year; $14,656.00 vs. $1,446.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sierra College than at City College of San Francisco (80% vs. 56%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by City College of San Francisco students is 46.2% larger than aid received by Sierra College students ($7,318 vs. $5,006).

City College of San Francisco vs. Sierra College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, City College of San Francisco or Sierra College? 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 Sierra College and City College of San Francisco.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: City College of San Francisco - Open admission; Sierra College - Open admission.

City College of San Francisco vs. Sierra College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for City College of San Francisco and Sierra College? 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 City College of San Francisco earn a median of about $4,900 more per year than Sierra College graduates about ten years after starting college ($41,000 vs. $36,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• More City College of San Francisco graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sierra 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.