SAC vs. RHC

Deciding between Santa Ana College and Rio Hondo 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.

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • SAC Santa Ana, CA
  • RHC Whittier, CA
  • Setting
  • SAC Large City
  • RHC Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • SAC 27,248
  • RHC 17,441
  • Type
  • SAC Public 2 Year
  • RHC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SAC
  • RHC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SAC -
  • RHC -
  • Status
  • SAC Non-profit
  • RHC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SAC
  • RHC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SAC $1,180
  • RHC $1,388
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SAC $10,756
  • RHC $9,884
  • Room & Board
  • SAC $22,126
  • RHC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • SAC $5,894
  • RHC $16,449
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SAC $6,768
  • RHC $5,049
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SAC 89%
  • RHC 85%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • SAC -
  • RHC -
  • Admitted
  • SAC -
  • RHC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • SAC Open
  • RHC Open
  • Enrolled
  • SAC Open
  • RHC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • SAC
  • RHC
  • Typical ACT score
  • SAC
  • RHC
  • Average High School GPA
  • SAC -
  • RHC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • SAC -
  • RHC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • SAC Unavailable
  • RHC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • SAC
  • RHC
  • ACT Range
  • SAC
  • RHC
  • SAT Range
  • SAC
  • RHC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • SAC Open admission
  • RHC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • SAC Apr 1, 2027
  • RHC Aug 20, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SAC 33:1
  • RHC 31:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SAC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
    • Health Professions (12%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
    • Work and Family Studies (2%)
  • RHC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (21%)
    • Work and Family Studies (19%)
    • Health Professions (14%)
    • Business (9%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SAC -
  • RHC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SAC $37,500
  • RHC $38,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SAC 47%
  • RHC 34%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SAC $7,500
  • RHC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SAC $77
  • RHC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SAC 58%
  • RHC 59%
  • % Women
  • SAC 42%
  • RHC 41%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SAC High
  • RHC Low
  • HBCU
  • SAC No
  • RHC No
  • % White
  • SAC 21%
  • RHC 8%
  • % Asian
  • SAC 8%
  • RHC 7%
  • % Black
  • SAC 1%
  • RHC 2%
  • % Hispanic
  • SAC 50%
  • RHC 77%
  • % Native American
  • SAC 0%
  • RHC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SAC 0%
  • RHC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SAC 1%
  • RHC 1%
  • % International
  • SAC 1%
  • RHC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SAC 15%
  • RHC 5%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SAC 96%
  • RHC 100%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SAC 0%
  • RHC 0%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Santa Ana College in Santa Ana, CA with Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Santa Ana College is larger than RHC based on total student enrollment (27,248 students vs. 17,441 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Santa Ana College is located in Santa Ana, CA (Large City setting); Rio Hondo College is in Whittier, CA (Large Suburban setting).
  • Santa Ana College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Rio Hondo College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Santa Ana College 33:1; Rio Hondo College 31:1.

SAC vs. RHC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SAC or RHC? 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 Santa Ana College than RHC ($5,894 vs. $16,449).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rio Hondo College are 0.2% lower than at Santa Ana College ($22,086 vs. $22,126).
  • Rio Hondo College is 17.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than SAC (about $208 more per year; $1,388.00 vs. $1,180.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 8.8% higher at SAC than at Rio Hondo College (about $872 more per year; $10,756.00 vs. $9,884.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Santa Ana College than at Rio Hondo College (89% vs. 85%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Ana College students is 34% larger than aid received by Rio Hondo College students ($6,768 vs. $5,049).

SAC vs. RHC Admissions comparison

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

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SAC - Open admission; RHC - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: SAC Apr 1, 2027; RHC Aug 20, 2027.

SAC vs. RHC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SAC and RHC? 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 $1,000 more per year than SAC graduates about ten years after starting college ($38,500 vs. $37,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More SAC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RHC students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 34%)

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.