Transfer from Sacramento
with a clear-eyed plan
You're weighing whether to spend your first two years at Cosumnes River College before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere in California. That decision hinges on real data: transfer rates, what students actually earn ten years later, and what a year here will cost you out of pocket.
~16,000 undergrads, 22% transfer out by year 8, median $42k 10-yr earnings, $10,722 median debt.
A Sacramento CC with solid transfer-out numbers and low debt at exit
Cosumnes River College enrolls nearly 16,000 undergrads in Sacramento and sends 22% to a four-year institution within eight years — a result that clears the national community college midpoint. Biological and Physical Sciences and Business Administration each generate 200-plus completions annually, giving science- and business-track students well-developed transfer paths. Median earnings sit at $42k ten years out, and median debt is $10,722 — modest given the California transfer market. The three-year loan default rate is 0%. Net price is $5,981. For a Sacramento-area student with transfer intent, the fundamentals are workable.
Cosumnes River College is a Sacramento community college with nearly 16,000 undergrads — 77% of whom attend part-time, a reminder that most students here are juggling more than school. The top program by completions is Biological and Physical Sciences at 239, followed by Business Administration and Management at 221 and Biology at 137, making it a particularly functional starting point for STEM or business transfer paths. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 22%, a meaningful figure that puts CRC above the low end of the national community college range. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $42k, median debt is $10,722, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. Net price is $5,981 annually. Students weighing this CC should know that the transfer signal is real but the part-time majority means timelines can stretch — going in with a defined program target and a pacing plan matters here.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | 239 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 221 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 137 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies. | 123 |
| Psychology, General. | 97 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 90 |
| Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping. | 62 |
| Child Care Provider/Assistant. | 54 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 44 |
| Social Sciences, General. | 37 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where California transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Cosumnes River College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data makes a reasonable case for it. Twenty-two percent of CRC students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a solid outcome given that 77% attend part-time. Net price is $5,981 annually, and median borrower debt is $10,722, which is manageable for a California transfer path. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $42k, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. The college's top programs in Biological and Physical Sciences (239 completions) and Business Administration (221 completions) are directly aligned with common transfer prerequisites. If you go in with a defined program target and use that part-time flexibility intentionally, CRC is a functional, cost-effective foundation for a bachelor's degree.
- How does Cosumnes River College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- CRC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 22%. National benchmarks typically place community college transfer rates between 15% and 25%, so CRC sits in the upper half of that range. The 22% figure is notable because 77% of CRC's students attend part-time — a demographic that historically transfers at lower rates and on longer timelines. An additional 1.8% of students were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 26% had completed a credential at CRC itself. Together those numbers suggest CRC is functioning as an active pipeline into four-year institutions, not simply serving students who never progress beyond the first year or two.
- What programs does Cosumnes River College offer at meaningful scale?
- CRC's highest-volume programs by completions are Biological and Physical Sciences (239), Business Administration and Management (221), Biology (137), Humanities (123), and Psychology (97). Automotive Mechanics Technology produced 90 completions, Accounting Technology 62, and Child Care Provider 54. The concentration in biological sciences and business matters for transfer planning: both fields map cleanly to prerequisites at California State and UC campuses, and the completion volume suggests these aren't thin offerings propped up by a handful of students. Psychology and Humanities provide additional breadth for students targeting social science or liberal arts transfer tracks.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.