American River College

OnlineU has rated ARC as the #1 best online community college for 2023. This means it has the highest rates of affordability, accessibility, and diversity among its student body. For example, College Scorecard designates ARC as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution as well as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

ARC has its main campus in Sacramento, California — along with three additional education centers, where students can study in person. However, it's also an online school with almost one thousand remote courses. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that 74% of its undergraduate students study completely online. 

It's important to note that only students living in California may participate in ARC's online classes. Eligible students can complete these courses asynchronously, allowing them to maintain a flexible schedule. 

When it comes to an applicant's education, employers first look for whether the school they attended was accredited. In other words, to show that it was inspected for quality by a third-party agency. This stamp of approval ensures that a degree — and the school awarding it — is legitimate. 

All colleges and universities listed on OnlineU are accredited. 

And specifically, the American River College is accredited by the WASC Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). 

ARC is best known for the resources it offers to its students. For example, financial resources are available through the Los Rios Promise Program, where eligible students can receive tuition coverage for up to 15 credits. There's also the HomeBases hub, where a series of counselors, mentors, staff, and faculty team up to prepare students for the academic programs they're pursuing. 

The highest earning field at ARC is in nursing, where graduates with an associate degree generally earn a median annual salary of ~$94,800. Although ARC has no fully online nursing degrees, students can still engage in a six-week, online Pharmacology and Implications for Nursing course. The second highest associate degrees are in business administration, with an expected salary of $44,200. ARC offers 32 online business classes that students can take in an asynchronous format. 

OnlineU's Salary Score, a proprietary metric that compares alumni salaries from different schools using the same degree, shows ARC with a score of 90 out of 100 for its associate degrees as a whole. 

According to federal data from College Scorecard, ARC has an open admissions policy with a 100% acceptance rate. Therefore, they accept every student as long as they meet the school's admissions requirements. 

Students do not need to meet certain GPA requirements in order to apply for college at ARC. They simply need to submit the appropriate documents and are guaranteed acceptance. First-time students should follow these steps to apply:

• Create a California Community Colleges account.
• Fill out the American River College online application. 
• Submit high school or college transcripts.