American River College (ARC) is a California community college located in the southern edge of unincorporated Foothill Farms in Sacramento County, California.

The college was opened in 1955 as American River Junior College, on the site of the old Grant Technical College. It moved to its current 153-acre (0.62 km2) site on the old Cameron Ranch in 1958, occupying eight newly built office complexes and the original Cameron ranch house. In 1965 the college became a part of the Los Rios Community College District and became American River College. Today, along with Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College, ARC is directed by a seven-member board of trustees elected by voters residing in the district.

Current enrollment is 35,000 full-time and part-time students, making it one of the largest community colleges in California. ARC has published its own literary journal since 1984, the American River Review, which has won numerous national awards and recognitions, including the National Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press and Gold Crowns from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The campus also has its own newspaper, the American River Current, and its own English as a Second Language newsletter, The Parrot. The college also offers three different types of online learning: online, hybrid, and web-enhanced.

It is the choice of many students in the greater Sacramento area, serving as a launching point for later transfer to competitive four-year universities such as the University of California, Davis and semi-competitive universities such as California State University, Sacramento. Nontransfer students may enroll for certification in technical/vocational programs, continuing education credit, or personal enrichment.

The climactic police showdown of the 1986 Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore film Wisdom was filmed on the American River campus, including in and around Beaver Stadium.