Saddleback vs Rio Salado

Saddleback College and Rio Salado College, both esteemed community colleges in California and Arizona respectively, offer diverse educational opportunities for students seeking higher education. While they share similarities in providing affordable tuition, flexible learning options, and a wide range of programs, they also possess distinct characteristics that cater to different student needs. Saddleback College boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the chance to pursue their academic goals. Rio Salado College, on the other hand, excels in online education, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a flexible learning environment. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which college best aligns with your unique educational aspirations.

	Rio Salado College	Saddleback College
Overview
Location	Tempe, Arizona	Mission Viejo, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	37.0%	71.0%
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: $24,554 Out of state: $33,514
Average net price	$9,426	$7,918
Tuition	In state: $2,040 Out of state: $7,824	In state: $1,288 Out of state: $10,248
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	71.0% Average amount $5,379	43.0% Average amount $5,432
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $4,710	1.0% Average amount $5,908
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%	17,392 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	12.0%	2.9%
International students	0.2%	1.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
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 Health Professions Business Communication and Journalism Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	25:1	25:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	8.5%	46.2%
Dropout rate	64.9%	30.7%
Transferred out	20.2%	9.8%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $73,348 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $71,266 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,444 Year 3: $39,729 Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $9,167 Year 3: N/A

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