College of the Desert, CA

Public 2-Year • Large Associate's College • High Transfer • Largely Traditional Students Open Admissions Main Campus
place
43-500 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260
phone
(760) 346-8041

College of the Desert Rankings

Affordability88
Retention30
Graduation1
Earnings12
Diversity36
1 ← Poor Great → 100

Academics

Academics at College of the Desert

- Bachelor’s
54% Associate’s
46% Certificate
Assoc Highest Degree

Share of Graduates by Field of Study

Architecture1%
Biological and Biomedical Sciences1%
Business, Management, Marketing14%
Communication, Journalism3%
Computer and Information Sciences2%
Construction Trades<1%
Engineering Technologies4%
English Language and Literature2%
Foreign Languages, Linguistics<1%
Health Professions and Related Programs8%
History2%
Human, Family and Consumer Sciences4%
Law Enforcement, Firefighting7%
Liberal Arts and Sciences, Humanities18%
Mathematics and Statistics1%
Mechanic and Repair Technologies3%
Multi-disciplinary Studies5%
Natural Resources and Conservation1%
Parks, Recreation, Fitness Studies2%
Personal and Culinary Services1%
Philosophy and Religious Studies<1%
Physical Sciences1%
Psychology7%
Social Sciences5%
Visual and Performing Arts3%

Admissions

Getting into College of the Desert

- Admission Rate
- Median SAT Math
- Median SAT Reading
- Median ACT Composite

Typical Test Scores

Cost

Cost of Attending College of the Desert

$1K In-State Tuition
$9K Out-of-State Tuition
$17K Average Total Cost
$9K Average Net Cost

Average Net Price by Family Income

Family Income School CA US
$0–$30K $9K $16K $14K
$30K–$48K $9K $16K $15K
$48K–$75K $12K $19K $17K
$75K–$110K $14K $21K $19K

Debt

Typical Debt after College of the Desert

- Receive Federal Loans
$6K Median Federal Debt
32% Repayment Rate
- Median Payment

Received Financial Aid

Family Income School CA US
$0–$30K 69% 63% 57%
$30K–$48K 21% 16% 16%
$48K–$75K 9% 11% 12%
$75K–$110K 2% 6% 9%
>$110K <1% 8% 11%

Student Debt

Category School CA US
The median debt for family income between $0–$30K $6K $11K $11K
The median debt for family income between $30K–$75K $5K $11K $12K
The median debt for students with family income >$75K $3K $11K $12K
The median debt for Pell students $5K $11K $12K
The median debt for no-Pell students $4K $10K $11K
Cumulative loan debt at the 90th percentile $11K $22K $25K
Cumulative loan debt at the 75th percentile $7K $16K $18K
Cumulative loan debt at the 25th percentile $2K $6K $6K
Cumulative loan debt at the 10th percentile $2K $3K $3K

Repayment Rates

Period School CA US
1-year after entering repayment 28% 42% 43%
3-years after entering repayment 32% 47% 46%
5-years after entering repayment 46% 49% 50%
7-years after entering repayment 51% 53% 55%

Completion

Completion Rates at College of the Desert

72% Retention Rate
7% Transfer Rate
28% Withdrawal Rate
25% Graduation Rate

Graduation Rates by Time Taken

Time Taken School CA US
Within 4 Years 6% 37% 38%
Within 6 Years 25% 60% 55%
Within 8 Years 35% 63% 56%

Graduation Rates by Ethnicity

Ethnicity and Nativity School CA US
Asian 45% 59% 53%
Black 12% 41% 39%
Caucasian 24% 53% 52%
Hispanic or Latino 23% 51% 47%
Non-US citizens/residents 28% 51% 50%
Two or more races 47% 48% 44%
Other race 50% 48% 44%

Outcomes

Outcomes after College of the Desert

85% Employment Rate
$25K Median Salary
$14K 25 Pctl Salary
$39K 75 Pctl Salary

Employment over Time

Period School CA US
Employed 6 years after enrollment 85% 82% 85%
Employed 7 years after enrollment 81% 80% 84%
Employed 8 years after enrollment 86% 81% 84%
Employed 9 years after enrollment 79% 79% 83%
Employed 10 years after enrollment 84% 79% 83%

Distribution of Earnings after Graduation

Percentile School CA US
10th percentile of earnings $5K $6K $7K
25th percentile of earnings $14K $16K $17K
50th percentile of earnings $25K $29K $29K
75th percentile of earnings $39K $45K $43K
90th percentile of earnings $59K $62K $57K

Median Earnings over Time

Period School CA US
Earnings 6 years after enrollment $25K $29K $29K
Earnings 8 years after enrollment $28K $34K $32K
Earnings 10 years after enrollment $31K $37K $35K

Students

Students at College of the Desert

10,418 Undergraduates
55% Full-time Undergrads
23 Avg Entry Age
- Graduate Students

Enrollment by Gender

Gender School CA US
Female degree-seeking undergraduates 56% 62% 64%
Male degree-seeking undergraduates 44% 37% 35%

Enrollment by Race and Nativity

Race and Nativity School CA US
Asian 3% 12% 4%
Black 3% 8% 18%
Caucasian 17% 25% 49%
Hispanic or Latino 73% 39% 18%
Native American or Alaskan Native <1% 1% 1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander <1% 1% <1%
Non-US citizens/residents 1% 4% 2%
Two or more races 3% 4% 3%
Other race 1% 5% 4%

Enrollment by Family Income

Family Income School CA US
$0–$30K 60% 49% 43%
$30K–$48K 27% 20% 18%
$48K–$75K 12% 15% 16%

Location Map

Nearby Colleges

Colleges near College of the Desert, CA

school
school
Mayfield College
6 miles, NW