Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) vs NMSU-Dona Ana

Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and New Mexico State University-Dona Ana (NMSU-DA) are two distinct institutions of higher learning that cater to diverse student populations and academic aspirations. SBCC, a community college located in the heart of Santa Barbara, California, offers a welcoming environment for students seeking a strong foundation in general education, career training, and transfer opportunities. In contrast, NMSU-DA, situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a four-year university that emphasizes hands-on learning, research opportunities, and a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your educational goals and preferences.

	New Mexico State University-Dona Ana	Santa Barbara City College
Overview
Location	Las Cruces, New Mexico	Santa Barbara, California
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	59.0%	69.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees	$20
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
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	In state: $16,869 Out of state: $20,373	In state: $24,371 Out of state: $32,051
Average net price	$6,147	$14,000
Tuition	In state: $1,962 Out of state: $5,466	In state: $1,104 Out of state: $8,472
Room & board
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $5,487	46.0% Average amount $4,721
Students receiving federal student loan	18.0% Average amount $2,169	4.0% Average amount $5,218
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $2,000	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,454 Men 39.3% Women 60.7%	12,746 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	6.5%	11.0%
International students	2.6%	3.2%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
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	New Mexico Texas Arizona California Colorado	California

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Computer and Information Science	Liberal Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Health Professions Business
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	34:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	15.1%	44.7%
Dropout rate	56.5%	35.1%
Transferred out	9.9%	13.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $59,682 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $64,455 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $42,177 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $43,220 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $37,092 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $28,002 Year 2: $24,730 Year 3: $35,402 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,062 Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: $26,850 Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $21,587 Year 2: $17,794 Year 3: $24,366 Data Processing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $24,107 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,370 Year 2: $23,005 Year 3: $23,805 Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,739 Year 2: $23,930 Year 3: $20,658 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $19,515	Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $40,140 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $39,332 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $80,727 Year 2: $79,081 Year 3: N/A

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