Paradise Valley vs Central Arizona College

Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) and Central Arizona College (CAC) are two esteemed community colleges in Arizona, each offering unique educational opportunities. PVCC boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. CAC, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While both colleges offer a diverse range of programs, PVCC excels in liberal arts and sciences, while CAC specializes in career and technical education. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two institutions, including student body demographics, popular majors, and additional factors that may influence your decision.

	Central Arizona College	Paradise Valley Community College
Overview
Location	Coolidge, Arizona	Phoenix, Arizona
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Large
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	59.0%	65.0%
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: $13,980 Out of state: $16,560	In state: $22,506 Out of state: $28,290
Average net price	$5,933	$11,198
Tuition	In state: $2,580 Out of state: $5,160	In state: $2,040 Out of state: $7,824
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,000 Meal plan: $4,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	72.0% Average amount $4,254	67.0% Average amount $4,426
Students receiving federal student loan	2.0% Average amount $4,685	8.0% Average amount $3,585
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,841 Men 36.6% Women 63.4%	5,965 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	2.6%	0.9%
International students	1.0%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	250	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arizona California Washington New Mexico Oregon	Arizona

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Education Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts Business Health Professions Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	19.4%	17.9%
Dropout rate	52.1%	35.9%
Transferred out	17.2%	27.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $72,832 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $29,186 Year 2: $30,277 Year 3: $32,235 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $30,579 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $45,246 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $65,517 Year 3: $63,815 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $39,247 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,848 Year 3: $36,230

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