Public Associate Strong 75/100

Cosumnes River College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Sacramento, California

About Cosumnes River College

Thinking about Cosumnes River College, a college in California where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Cosumnes River College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Sacramento, California. It enrolls 14,023 students (a 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.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
6%
Net Price
$5,981
Median Earnings (10yr)
$42,446
Enrollment
14,023
Student : Faculty
30:1

Accreditor Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

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.

Strong
75/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 58
Value 83
Affordability 51
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Cosumnes 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 $5,981 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.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$5,981
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
26%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
3%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

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
$14,202

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
    $5,045
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $4,487
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $7,193
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $9,760
  • Over $110,000
    $11,911

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.

$1,916
10% percentile
$3,182
25% percentile
$10,722
Median percentile
$10,666
75% percentile
$22,806
90% 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 $8,944 ↓ $1,778
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $5,222
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $5,222
Independent students $9,500 ↓ $1,222
Female students $9,074 ↓ $1,648
Male students $8,003 ↓ $2,719
Pell recipients: 19.2% (2,061 students)No Pell: 11.8% (1,268 students)Dependent students: 11.8% (1,268 students)Independent students: 20.4% (2,190 students)Female students: 19.5% (2,091 students)Male students: 17.2% (1,845 students)Overall Median$10,722
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,483, close to what completers borrow ($10,722) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

6% of students who start here finish within six years, and 75% 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
6%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
75%
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 $42,446 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)
$42,446
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$32,000$35,000$38,000$41,000$44,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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
$32,800

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$38,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $5,500, about 14% 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 ↑ 7.9 pts across 6 years
44.7%1yr52.2%3yr52.6%5yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 53% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 14,023 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 51% are the first in their family to go to college, and 75% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
14,023
Part-Time
75%
First-Generation
51%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 29.8% 4,182
Asian 28.4% 3,978
White 21.4% 3,001
Other 9.2% 1,289
Black 8.2% 1,153
International 0.3% 41
Hispanic: 29.8% (4,182 students)Asian: 28.4% (3,978 students)White: 21.4% (3,001 students)Other: 9.2% (1,289 students)Black: 8.2% (1,153 students)International: 0.3% (41 students)Total14,023

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Cosumnes River College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Sacramento, California
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
34% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Interdisciplinary Studies graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Cosumnes River College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 69 distinct programs across 29 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.

7 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
7 Programs
7 Programs
4 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 30 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
30:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,079
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$96,484
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

197 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 197 100% $96,484

Pros & Cons of Cosumnes River College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Cosumnes River College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Open admissions
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Cosumnes 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 Cosumnes River College

The questions families ask most about Cosumnes River College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Cosumnes River College hard to get into?
Not especially. Cosumnes 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 Cosumnes 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 Cosumnes River College cost?
Budget around $5,981 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 Cosumnes River College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,446 a year against a net price of $5,981, about 7.1 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 Cosumnes River College known for?
Mostly Biological and Physical Sciences, Business Administration, Liberal Arts. 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 Cosumnes River College graduates earn?
About $42,446 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 Cosumnes River College accredited?
Yes. Cosumnes River College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Cosumnes River College?
14,023 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Cosumnes River College?
6% 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 Cosumnes River College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Cosumnes River College located?
Cosumnes River College is located in Sacramento, California.
What programs does Cosumnes River College offer?
69 different programs, most commonly Biological and Physical Sciences, Business Administration, Liberal Arts. 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 Cosumnes River College?
30 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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