RHC vs. CMC

Deciding between Rio Hondo College and Copper Mountain Community 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.

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • RHC Whittier, CA
  • CMC Joshua Tree, CA
  • Setting
  • RHC Large Suburban
  • CMC Distant Rural
  • Total enrollment
  • RHC 17,441
  • CMC 2,019
  • Type
  • RHC Public 2 Year
  • CMC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • RHC
  • CMC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • RHC -
  • CMC -
  • Status
  • RHC Non-profit
  • CMC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • RHC
  • CMC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • RHC $1,388
  • CMC $1,390
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • RHC $9,884
  • CMC $13,570
  • Room & Board
  • RHC $22,086
  • CMC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • RHC $16,449
  • CMC $9,827
  • Average Grant Aid
  • RHC $5,049
  • CMC $7,478
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • RHC 85%
  • CMC 93%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • RHC -
  • CMC -
  • Admitted
  • RHC -
  • CMC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • RHC Open
  • CMC Open
  • Enrolled
  • RHC Open
  • CMC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • RHC
  • CMC
  • Typical ACT score
  • RHC
  • CMC
  • Average High School GPA
  • RHC -
  • CMC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • RHC -
  • CMC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • RHC Unavailable
  • CMC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • RHC
  • CMC
  • ACT Range
  • RHC
  • CMC
  • SAT Range
  • RHC
  • CMC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • RHC Open admission
  • CMC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • RHC Aug 20, 2027
  • CMC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • RHC 31:1
  • CMC 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • RHC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (21%)
    • Work and Family Studies (19%)
    • Health Professions (14%)
    • Business (9%)
  • CMC
    • Health Professions (30%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (28%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Business (9%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • RHC -
  • CMC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • RHC $38,500
  • CMC $33,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • RHC 34%
  • CMC 28%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • RHC N/A
  • CMC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • RHC N/A
  • CMC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • RHC 59%
  • CMC 36%
  • % Women
  • RHC 41%
  • CMC 64%
  • Racial Diversity
  • RHC Low
  • CMC High
  • HBCU
  • RHC No
  • CMC No
  • % White
  • RHC 8%
  • CMC 52%
  • % Asian
  • RHC 7%
  • CMC 4%
  • % Black
  • RHC 2%
  • CMC 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • RHC 77%
  • CMC 27%
  • % Native American
  • RHC 0%
  • CMC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • RHC 0%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • RHC 1%
  • CMC 7%
  • % International
  • RHC 0%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • RHC 5%
  • CMC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • RHC 100%
  • CMC 90%
  • % Out-of-State
  • RHC 0%
  • CMC 0%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA with Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Rio Hondo College is larger than CMC based on total student enrollment (17,441 students vs. 2,019 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Rio Hondo College is located in Whittier, CA (Large Suburban setting); Copper Mountain Community College is in Joshua Tree, CA (Distant Rural setting).
  • Rio Hondo College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Copper Mountain Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Rio Hondo College 31:1; Copper Mountain Community College 18:1.

RHC vs. CMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, RHC or CMC? 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 Copper Mountain Community College than RHC ($9,827 vs. $16,449).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at Rio Hondo College and CMC ($22,086).
  • Copper Mountain Community College is 0.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than RHC (about $2 more per year; $1,390.00 vs. $1,388.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 37.3% higher at CMC than at Rio Hondo College (about $3,686 more per year; $13,570.00 vs. $9,884.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Copper Mountain Community College than at Rio Hondo College (93% vs. 85%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Copper Mountain Community College students is 48.1% larger than aid received by Rio Hondo College students ($7,478 vs. $5,049).

RHC vs. CMC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, RHC or CMC? 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 CMC and RHC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: RHC - Open admission; CMC - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: RHC Aug 20, 2027.

RHC vs. CMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for RHC and CMC? 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 Rio Hondo College earn a median of about $5,500 more per year than CMC graduates about ten years after starting college ($38,500 vs. $33,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More RHC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMC students, three years after graduation. (34% vs. 28%)

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.