ARC vs. Palomar College

Comparable Facts

Compare American River College in Sacramento, CA with Palomar College in San Marcos, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

American River College is larger than Palomar College based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 19,550 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Palomar College is in San Marcos, CA (Small City setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Palomar College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Palomar College 25:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American River College are 14.4% lower than at Palomar College ($22,086 vs. $25,804).
• Out-of-state tuition is 18.5% higher at ARC than at Palomar College (about $1,966 more per year; $12,616 vs. $10,650).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at American River College than at Palomar College (89% vs. 81%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by American River College students is 9.7% larger than aid received by Palomar College students ($5,456 vs. $4,972).

Admissions details

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

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, Palomar College graduates have a $5,233 lower median loan debt than ARC graduates ($7,000 vs. $12,233).
• Among borrowers, Palomar College graduates have an estimated $54 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than ARC graduates ($72 vs. $126).
• More Palomar College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation (30% vs. 26%).

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