Central Lakes College-Brainerd vs Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARC)

Central Lakes College-Brainerd and Anoka-Ramsey Community College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences. Central Lakes boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Anoka-Ramsey maintains a slightly more selective admissions process. Central Lakes' student body is predominantly female, while Anoka-Ramsey's is more evenly balanced between genders. Both colleges offer a diverse range of programs, with Central Lakes excelling in fields like Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Health Professions, and Anoka-Ramsey shining in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services. Discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences by exploring the detailed comparison table provided.

	Anoka-Ramsey Community College	Central Lakes College-Brainerd
Overview
Location	Coon Rapids, Minnesota	Brainerd, Minnesota
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Remote
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	56.0%	58.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$21,259	$19,197
Average net price	$10,929	$12,279
Tuition	$4,775	$5,240
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	89.0% Average amount $3,020	79.0% Average amount $4,719
Students receiving federal student loan	28.0% Average amount $4,531	35.0% Average amount $4,808
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $9,533	2.0% Average amount $8,881

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,951 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%	4,448 Men 40.9% Women 59.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.4%	0.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Computer and Information Science Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Transportation and Logistics Agriculture Law Enforcement and Firefighting Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio	25:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	24.5%	47.6%
Dropout rate	39.0%	38.0%
Transferred out	28.9%	12.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $56,430 Year 2: $59,268 Year 3: $62,625 Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $36,658 Year 2: $39,909 Year 3: $46,050 Accounting and Related Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,420 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $41,645 Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,769 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $40,820 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $42,165 Year 2: $40,964 Year 3: $40,329 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $33,340 Year 2: $31,650 Year 3: $35,293 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: N/A	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $61,809 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,757 Year 2: $57,576 Year 3: $60,915 Ground Transportation (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $51,968 Year 2: $48,563 Year 3: $55,739 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $43,734 Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $50,675 Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $35,344 Year 2: $44,468 Year 3: $49,014 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $47,725 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $38,812 Year 2: $39,286 Year 3: $40,518 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $35,959 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $26,731 Year 2: $33,370 Year 3: $35,107 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $30,432

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