Sac City vs. SBCC

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacramento City College in Sacramento, CA with Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Sacramento City College is larger than SBCC based on total student enrollment (19,920 students vs. 12,334 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Sacramento City College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting); Santa Barbara City College is in Santa Barbara, CA (Small City setting).
• Sacramento City College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Santa Barbara City College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Sacramento City College 26:1; Santa Barbara City College 24:1.

Sac City vs. SBCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Sac City 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 Sacramento City College than SBCC ($8,624 vs. $14,186).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at Sacramento City College and SBCC ($22,086).
• Sacramento City College is 3.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than SBCC (about $48 more per year; $1,288.00 vs. $1,240.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 20.9% higher at Sac City than at Santa Barbara City College (about $2,184 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $10,432.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sacramento City College than at Santa Barbara City College (90% vs. 41%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Sacramento City College students is 5.1% larger than aid received by Santa Barbara City College students ($6,192 vs. $5,889).

Sac City vs. SBCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Sac City 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 Sac City.

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

Sac City vs. SBCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Sac City 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 $1,400 more per year than Sac City graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,400 vs. $39,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Santa Barbara City College graduates have a $1,000 lower median loan debt than Sac City graduates ($9,500 vs. $10,500).
• Among borrowers, SBCC graduates have an estimated $10 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Sac City graduates ($98 vs. $108).
• More SBCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sac City students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 29%)

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.