ECC vs. SBCC

Deciding between El Camino Community College District and Santa Barbara City College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

El Camino Community College District
Santa Barbara City College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • ECC Torrance, CA
  • SBCC Santa Barbara, CA
  • Setting
  • ECC Large Suburban
  • SBCC Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • ECC 21,664
  • SBCC 12,334
  • Type
  • ECC Public 2 Year
  • SBCC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • ECC
  • SBCC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • ECC -
  • SBCC -
  • Status
  • ECC Non-profit
  • SBCC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • ECC
  • SBCC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • ECC $1,144
  • SBCC $1,240
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • ECC $7,630
  • SBCC $10,432
  • Room & Board
  • ECC $19,431
  • SBCC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • ECC $8,837
  • SBCC $14,186
  • Average Grant Aid
  • ECC $6,896
  • SBCC $5,889
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • ECC 70%
  • SBCC 41%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • ECC -
  • SBCC -
  • Admitted
  • ECC -
  • SBCC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • ECC Open
  • SBCC Open
  • Enrolled
  • ECC Open
  • SBCC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • ECC
  • SBCC
  • Typical ACT score
  • ECC
  • SBCC
  • Average High School GPA
  • ECC -
  • SBCC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • ECC -
  • SBCC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • ECC Unavailable
  • SBCC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • ECC
  • SBCC
  • ACT Range
  • ECC
  • SBCC
  • SAT Range
  • ECC
  • SBCC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • ECC Open admission
  • SBCC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • ECC Aug 27, 2027
  • SBCC Aug 19, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • ECC 28:1
  • SBCC 24:1
  • Popular Majors
  • ECC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Health Professions (10%)
    • Work and Family Studies (7%)
    • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • SBCC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
    • General Studies (13%)
    • Health Professions (9%)
    • Business (4%)
    • Social Sciences (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • ECC -
  • SBCC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • ECC $36,400
  • SBCC $40,400
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • ECC 25%
  • SBCC 39%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • ECC N/A
  • SBCC $9,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • ECC N/A
  • SBCC $98

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • ECC 47%
  • SBCC 45%
  • % Women
  • ECC 53%
  • SBCC 55%
  • Racial Diversity
  • ECC High
  • SBCC High
  • HBCU
  • ECC No
  • SBCC No
  • % White
  • ECC 13%
  • SBCC 41%
  • % Asian
  • ECC 13%
  • SBCC 5%
  • % Black
  • ECC 14%
  • SBCC 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • ECC 51%
  • SBCC 33%
  • % Native American
  • ECC 0%
  • SBCC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • ECC 1%
  • SBCC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • ECC 5%
  • SBCC 5%
  • % International
  • ECC 3%
  • SBCC 9%
  • % Unknown Race
  • ECC 0%
  • SBCC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • ECC 94%
  • SBCC 81%
  • % Out-of-State
  • ECC 0%
  • SBCC 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • ECC No
  • SBCC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • ECC No
  • SBCC No
  • Meal Plan
  • ECC No
  • SBCC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • ECC Yes
  • SBCC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • ECC Yes
  • SBCC No

Comparable Facts

Compare El Camino Community College District in Torrance, CA with Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

El Camino Community College District is larger than SBCC based on total student enrollment (21,664 students vs. 12,334 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • El Camino Community College District is located in Torrance, CA (Large Suburban setting); Santa Barbara City College is in Santa Barbara, CA (Small City setting).
  • El Camino Community College District is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Santa Barbara City College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: El Camino Community College District 28:1; Santa Barbara City College 24:1.

ECC vs. SBCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECC 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 El Camino Community College District than SBCC ($8,837 vs. $14,186).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at El Camino Community College District are 12% lower than at Santa Barbara City College ($19,431 vs. $22,086).
  • Santa Barbara City College is 8.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than ECC (about $96 more per year; $1,240.00 vs. $1,144.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 36.7% higher at SBCC than at El Camino Community College District (about $2,802 more per year; $10,432.00 vs. $7,630.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at El Camino Community College District than at Santa Barbara City College (70% vs. 41%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by El Camino Community College District students is 17.1% larger than aid received by Santa Barbara City College students ($6,896 vs. $5,889).

ECC vs. SBCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ECC or SBCC? 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 SBCC and ECC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ECC - Open admission; SBCC - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: ECC Aug 27, 2027; SBCC Aug 19, 2027.

ECC vs. SBCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ECC and SBCC? 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 Santa Barbara City College earn a median of about $4,000 more per year than ECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,400 vs. $36,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More SBCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECC students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 25%)

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.