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CollegeRanker
Public Sacramento, CA · Urban · Far West · 87% data
A Diversity A Value A- Affordability
Graduation Rate
32% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$42,214 C
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$6,614 A-
61% less than the typical college
Enrollment
17,657
Earnings +4% vs avg
Graduation -43% vs avg
Net Price +-61% vs avg

Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 44.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $44.7 over 20 years. Ranked #9 in Best Online Computer Science Programs in California.

44.7× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $44.7 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,155,455.

What The Data Says

  1. A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 32% — 43% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $44.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Sacramento City College

Sacramento City College is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
17,657
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Computer Science & IT

Why students choose Sacramento City College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

B-
Top 33% overall
C
Earnings
$42,214 median
A
Value
6.4× net price
A-
Affordability
$6,614/yr net
F
Graduation
32% graduate
A
Diversity
0.77 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Sacramento City College enrolls 17,657 students, making it a significant player in the community college landscape. This large student body reflects a diverse range of interests, with popular programs in Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Computer Science & IT, and Psychology.

The data from Chetty/Opportunity Insights indicates that while specific mobility metrics are unavailable, students can expect a solid return on their investment. Graduates earn a median salary of $42,214 within ten years of completing their education. This suggests a pathway to economic stability for many students, even if the graduation rate stands at 32%.

The cost of attendance is relatively low, with a net price of $6,614 and a median debt of $10,500. This affordability makes it accessible for many students, particularly those receiving Pell Grants, which account for 26% of the student population. Sacramento City College is a good fit for students seeking practical, career-oriented education without incurring overwhelming debt.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Sacramento City College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Sacramento City College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Sacramento City College, located in Sacramento, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 32%.

Retention Rate
69%
Full-Time Faculty
38%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$11,253
Student–Faculty Ratio
25:1
Diversity Index
0.77
First-Gen Students
51%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Sacramento City College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Sacramento City College is $12,616, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,614. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,739 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$1,288
Out-of-State
$12,616
Avg Net Price
$6,614
Median Debt
$10,500
Pell Grant Rate
26%
Federal Loan Rate
5%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$5,739
Family Income $30K–$48K
$5,509
Family Income $48K–$75K
$8,567
Family Income $110K+
$9,906

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Sacramento City College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Sacramento City College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Sacramento City College report median earnings of $42,214, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$32,703
8 Years
$36,806
10 Years
$42,214
Debt-to-Earnings
0.25x
Earning > $25K
47%

Earnings Trajectory

$32,703 6yr $36,806 8yr $42,214 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (139)
11%
100% (139)
11%
100% (139)
11%
100% (139)
11%

How Sacramento Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation32%Earnings 10yr$42KNet Price$7KRetention69%Median Debt$11KPell Grant Rate26%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$9K$48-75K$10K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Sacramento City College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Sacramento City College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $6,614/year ($26,456 total). Graduates earn $42,214 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,181,911 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,155,455 (44.7× your investment). The median debt is $10,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 32% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$26,456
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,181,911
Net Return
$1,155,455
ROI Multiple
44.7×
Cost Per Year
$6,614
Median Debt
$10,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
32%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Sacramento City College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Sacramento City College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.74, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.12). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.74
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.12
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.4%
Support Ratio
0.92
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Top Programs

The fields Sacramento City College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Sacramento City College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Sacramento City College, located in Sacramento, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 32%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Sacramento City College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Sacramento City College is $12,616, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,614. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,739 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,500 in federal student loans.

Is Sacramento City College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Sacramento City College report median earnings of $42,214, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Sacramento City College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Sacramento City College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.74, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.12). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Sacramento City College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys