American River College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Sacramento, California. It enrolls 25,621 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes50
Value68
Affordability40
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, American River College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $7,999 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$1,288
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,616
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$1,152
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$16,384
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$7,599
$30,001 – $48,000
$6,219
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,538
$75,001 – $110,000
$11,652
Over $110,000
$13,845
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,92210%percentile
$3,50025%percentile
$9,625Medianpercentile
$15,19275%percentile
$27,01990%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $9,500
↓ $125
No Pell $5,982
↓ $3,643
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $4,125
Independent students $9,500
↓ $125
Female students $9,431
↓ $194
Male students $9,266
↓ $359
What this means:
21% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.
Graduation Rate & Retention
7% of students who start here finish within six years, and 72% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
7%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $40,162 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,162
Earning > $25K
62%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$35,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$41,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$35,800
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$44,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$54,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $6,100, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
33.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 71% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 25,621 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 51% are the first in their family to go to college, and 80% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
25,621
Part-Time
80%
First-Generation
51%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 36.6%9,367
Hispanic 31.8%8,158
Asian 13.2%3,372
Other 7.9%2,016
Black 6.5%1,665
International 0.2%44
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at American River College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
American River College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
99 distinct programs across
31 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 28 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.
Student : Faculty
28:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,768
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$99,264
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
349 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Instructors
349
100%
$99,264
Pros & Cons of American River College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where American River College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, American River College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about American River College
The questions families ask most about American River College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is American River College hard to get into?
Not especially. American River College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at American River College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does American River College cost?
Budget around $7,999 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is American River College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $40,162 a year against a net price of $7,999, about 5.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is American River College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, Biological and Physical Sciences. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do American River College graduates earn?
About $40,162 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is American River College accredited?
Yes. American River College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend American River College?
25,621 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at American River College?
7% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is American River College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is American River College located?
American River College is located in Sacramento, California.
What programs does American River College offer?
99 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, Biological and Physical Sciences. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at American River College?
28 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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