Sac City vs. Smith Chason College

Comparable Facts

Compare Sacramento City College in Sacramento, CA with Smith Chason College in Los Angeles, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Sacramento City College is larger than Smith Chason College based on total student enrollment (19,920 students vs. 2,447 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Sacramento City College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting); Smith Chason College is in Los Angeles, CA (Large Suburban setting).
• Sacramento City College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Smith Chason College is a private, for-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Sacramento City College 26:1; Smith Chason College 21:1.

Sac City vs. Smith Chason College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Sac City or Smith Chason College? 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 Smith Chason College ($8,624 vs. $32,817).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at Sacramento City College and Smith Chason College ($22,086).
• Smith Chason College is 1,378.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Sac City (about $17,752 more per year; $19,040.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 50.9% higher at Smith Chason College than at Sacramento City College (about $6,424 more per year; $19,040.00 vs. $12,616.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sacramento City College than at Smith Chason College (90% vs. 71%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Smith Chason College students is 8.7% larger than aid received by Sacramento City College students ($6,731 vs. $6,192).

Sac City vs. Smith Chason College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Sac City or Smith Chason College? 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 Smith Chason College 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; Smith Chason College - Open admission.

Sac City vs. Smith Chason College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Sac City and Smith Chason College? 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 Smith Chason College earn a median of about $17,200 more per year than Sac City graduates about ten years after starting college ($56,200 vs. $39,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Sacramento City College graduates have a $9,500 lower median loan debt than Smith Chason College graduates ($10,500 vs. $20,000).
• Among borrowers, Sac City graduates have an estimated $98 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Smith Chason College graduates ($108 vs. $206).
• More Smith Chason College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sac City students, three years after graduation. (48% 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.