ARC vs. Foothill College

Comparable Facts

Compare American River College in Sacramento, CA with Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

American River College is larger than Foothill College based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 12,949 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Foothill College is in Los Altos Hills, CA (Large Suburban setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Foothill College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Foothill College 26:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Foothill College are 5.9% lower than at American River College ($20,793 vs. $22,086).
• Out-of-state tuition is 0.2% higher at ARC than at Foothill College (about $26 more per year; $12,616 vs. $12,590).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at American River College than at Foothill College (89% vs. 67%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by American River College students is 29.2% larger than aid received by Foothill College students ($5,456 vs. $4,223).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are open admission at both ARC and Foothill College.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, Foothill College graduates have a $3,261 lower median loan debt than ARC graduates ($8,972 vs. $12,233).
• Among borrowers, Foothill College graduates have an estimated $34 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than ARC graduates ($92 vs. $126).
• More Foothill College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation (46% vs. 26%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.