College of the Desert
Palm Desert, CA · Public · offers Associate's degrees
—Acceptance rate
$15,728Average net price / year
31%Graduation rate
$39,020Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
—Median debt at graduation
10,207Undergraduates
Cost
- In-state tuition & fees
- $1,326
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,174
- Total cost of attendance
- $24,607
- Books & supplies
- $1,062
- Average net price
- $15,728
Net price by family income
- $0–30k
- $14,872
- $30–48k
- $15,071
- $48–75k
- $17,137
- $75–110k
- $20,621
- $110k+
- $21,969
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- —
Outcomes
- Graduation rate
- 31%
- First-year retention
- 70%
- Median earnings (6 yrs)
- $31,085
- Median earnings (10 yrs)
- $39,020
- Median debt (graduates)
- —
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0.0%
- Students with Pell grants
- 38%
- Students with federal loans
- 1%
Programs: what graduates earn
11 of 102 programs have published earnings or debt data. Earnings are median salaries of graduates one year after completing the program (or the latest available year).
Undergraduate certificate
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 3 | $65,504 | — |
Associate's degree
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 83 | $91,848 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 66 | $32,482 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 115 | $30,417 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 138 | $25,934 | — |
| Psychology, General | 145 | $25,792 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 24 | $47,357 | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 27 | $59,719 | — |
| Sociology | 45 | $35,465 | — |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | 6 | $40,391 | — |
| History | 11 | $49,234 | — |
Students
- Undergraduates
- 10,207
- Part-time
- 60%
- Women / men
- 56% / 44%
- White
- 15%
- Hispanic
- 74%
- Black
- 3%
- Asian
- 3%
- International
- 1%
Faculty & school
- Student–faculty ratio
- 26:1
- Avg faculty salary
- $115,938 / year
- Full-time faculty
- 27%
- Accreditor
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Website
- www.collegeofthedesert.edu
- Also known as
- Desert Community College District
Most popular fields
- Communication & Journalism – 2% of degrees
- Computer & Information Sciences – 2% of degrees
- Engineering Technologies – 3% of degrees
- Family & Consumer Sciences – 5% of degrees
- Liberal Arts & General Studies – 47% of degrees
- Interdisciplinary Studies – 2% of degrees
Frequently asked questions
How much does College of the Desert cost?
The average net price after grants is $15,728 per year; in-state tuition and fees are $1,326 and the full cost of attendance is $24,607.
How much do College of the Desert graduates earn?
Students who enrolled earn a median of $39,020 ten years later. See the program table above for salaries by major.
What is the graduation rate?
31% of first-time, full-time students graduate within 150% of normal time.
Other colleges in Palm Desert
| College | Net price | Acceptance | Graduation | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan Institute-Palm Desert Palm Desert, CA · Private for-profit · 356 students |
$24,730 | — | 48% | $29,491 |
| California Indian Nations College Palm Desert, CA · Public · 142 students |
— | — | — | — |
| International School of Beauty Inc Palm Desert, CA · Private for-profit · 132 students |
$18,347 | — | 92% | $19,799 |
| Elite Cosmetology School PALM DESERT, CA · Private for-profit · 115 students |
$19,655 | — | 88% | $17,966 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.