Cuesta College vs. Riverside City College

Should I go to Cuesta College or Riverside City College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cuesta College or Riverside City College 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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Cuesta College vs. Riverside City College comparison
Cuesta College Riverside City College College 3 College 4
Riverside City College
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Overview

Cuesta College Riverside City College
Location San Luis Obispo, CA Riverside, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 9,908 19,147
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuesta.edu rcc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cuesta College Riverside City College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,380
Tuition (Out of State) $9,296 $9,960
Room & Board $17,784 $19,674
Avg Net Price $14,507 $6,428
Avg Grant Aid $4,559 $5,970
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 93%

Admission

Cuesta College Riverside City College
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 13, 2025 Oct 20, 2024

Academics

Cuesta College Riverside City College
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (2%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (40%)
  • General Studies (15%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Business (5%)

Outcomes

Cuesta College Riverside City College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,800 $36,000
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 41%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,250 $8,000
Median Loan Payment $116 $82

Diversity

Cuesta College Riverside City College
% Men 49% 41%
% Women 51% 59%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 21%
% Black 2% 8%
% Hispanic 27% 59%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Cuesta College Riverside City College
% In-State 95% 98%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

Cuesta College Riverside City College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Riverside City College is larger than than Cuesta College based on total student enrollment (19,147 students vs. 9,908 students)

Cuesta College vs. Riverside City College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cuesta College or Riverside City College?

  • Riverside City College is 7.1% more expensive to attend than Cuesta College for in-state tuition ($1,380.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.1% higher at Riverside City College than Cuesta College ($9,960.00 vs. $9,296.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Riverside City College than Cuesta College ($6,428 vs. $14,507)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cuesta College are 10.6% lower than costs at Riverside City College ($17,784 vs. $19,674)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Riverside City College than Cuesta College (93% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Riverside City College students is 30.9% larger than aid received Cuesta College ($5,970 vs. $4,559)

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

Cuesta College vs. Riverside City College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cuesta College or Riverside City College? 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 Riverside City College and Cuesta College.

  • Graduates from Cuesta College earn on average $4,800 more per year than Riverside City College graduates after ten years. ($40,800 vs. $36,000)
  • Riverside City College students graduate with a $3,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Cuesta College graduates. ($8,000 vs. $11,250)
  • Riverside City College graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than Cuesta College graduates. ($82 vs. $116)
  • More Cuesta College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Riverside City College students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 41%)

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