Glendale Community College vs. Rio Salado College

Should I go to Glendale Community College or Rio Salado College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Glendale Community College or Rio Salado 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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Glendale Community College vs. Rio Salado College comparison
Glendale Community College Rio Salado College College 3 College 4
Glendale Community College
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Overview

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado College
Location Glendale, AZ Tempe, AZ
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 13,342 17,078
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website maricopa.edu maricopa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado College
Tuition (In State) $2,040 $2,040
Tuition (Out of State) $7,824 $7,824
Room & Board $10,872 $9,664
Avg Net Price $11,359 $6,834
Avg Grant Aid $4,484 $2,327
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96%

Admission

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado 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 2, 2025

Academics

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 28:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (26%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (25%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (32%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (11%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Communications Technology (6%)

Outcomes

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,400 $41,500
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 19%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,241 $7,897
Median Loan Payment $64 $81

Diversity

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado College
% Men 44% 40%
% Women 56% 60%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 43% 54%
% Black 7% 12%
% Hispanic 36% 20%
% Native American 2% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 5% 7%

Students

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado College
% In-State 99% 85%
% Out-of-State 0% 12%

Campus

 Glendale Community College Rio Salado College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rio Salado College is larger than than Glendale Community College based on total student enrollment (17,078 students vs. 13,342 students)

Glendale Community College vs. Rio Salado College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Glendale Community College or Rio Salado College?

  • Glendale Community College and Rio Salado College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($2,040.00 vs. $2,040.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at Glendale Community College as Rio Salado College ($7,824.00 vs. $7,824.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rio Salado College than Glendale Community College ($6,834 vs. $11,359)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rio Salado College are 12.5% lower than costs at Glendale Community College ($9,664 vs. $10,872)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Glendale Community College than Rio Salado College (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Glendale Community College students is 92.7% larger than aid received Rio Salado College ($4,484 vs. $2,327)

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

Glendale Community College vs. Rio Salado College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Glendale Community College or Rio Salado 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 Rio Salado College and Glendale Community College.

  • Graduates from Rio Salado College earn on average $4,100 more per year than Glendale Community College graduates after ten years. ($41,500 vs. $37,400)
  • Glendale Community College students graduate with a $1,656 lower median federal student loan debt than Rio Salado College graduates. ($6,241 vs. $7,897)
  • Glendale Community College graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than Rio Salado College graduates. ($64 vs. $81)
  • More Glendale Community College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rio Salado College students, three years after graduation. (33% vs. 19%)

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