Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) vs Rio Salado

Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and Rio Salado College (RSC) stand out as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities for students seeking a quality education. SBCC, nestled in the picturesque coastal city of Santa Barbara, California, boasts a vibrant campus and a diverse student body. In contrast, RSC, located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert in Tempe, Arizona, offers a blend of online and in-person classes, catering to a wide range of learners. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Rio Salado College	Santa Barbara City College
Overview
Location	Tempe, Arizona	Santa Barbara, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	37.0%	69.0%
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	In state: $14,542 Out of state: $20,326	In state: $24,371 Out of state: $32,051
Average net price	$9,426	$14,000
Tuition	In state: $2,040 Out of state: $7,824	In state: $1,104 Out of state: $8,472
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	71.0% Average amount $5,379	46.0% Average amount $4,721
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $4,710	4.0% Average amount $5,218
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	15,682 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%	12,746 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	12.0%	11.0%
International students	0.2%	3.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	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	Arizona California Texas Louisiana Alabama	California

Academics
Popular study areas	Law Enforcement and Firefighting Business Liberal Arts Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science	Liberal Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Health Professions Business
Students to faculty ratio	25:1	34:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	8.5%	44.7%
Dropout rate	64.9%	35.1%
Transferred out	20.2%	13.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $42,986 Year 2: $41,884 Year 3: $44,530 Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $42,922 Year 2: $34,348 Year 3: $39,074 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $37,704 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $34,090 Legal Support Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $28,264 Data Processing (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,938 Year 3: N/A Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: N/A	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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