College of the Desert
Palm Desert, California · Also known as Desert Community College District · Website
$39,020
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$39,020
median earnings, 10 years after starting
College of the Desert is a public 2-year college in Palm Desert, California with 10,207 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $15,728 a year (tuition and fees $1,326 in-state, $10,174 out-of-state). 31% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $39,020 a year 10 years after they started.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,728
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,326
Out-of-state $10,174
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
31%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
-
Earnings at 10 years
$39,020
Rank 2,854 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $15,728
- Tuition in-state
- $1,326
- Tuition out-of-state
- $10,174
- Cost of attendance
- $24,607
- Students with a need-based grant
- 38%
- Students with federal loans
- 1.0%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $14,872
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $15,071
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $17,137
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $20,621
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $21,969
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $1,336 in 2015-16 to $1,326 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 10,207
- Part-time students
- 60%
- Women
- 56%
- Students per teacher
- 26
- Completion rate
- 31%
- Retention rate
- 70%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 102
- Endowment
- $51.2M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,854 of 5,094 US colleges and 309 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,728 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,326 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 31% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 70% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | - | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $31,085 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $39,020 | $41,472 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 32% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 52% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
102 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 841 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Psychology, GeneralOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 145 | Withheld | $25,792 | $39,201 | $39,288 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 138 | Withheld | $25,934 | $52,620 | $48,733 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 130 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 119 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,135 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 115 | Withheld | $30,417 | $45,349 | $44,125 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 83 | Withheld | $91,848 | $106,782 | $80,813 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 66 | Withheld | $32,482 | $44,704 | $46,706 |
| SociologyOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | $35,465 | $44,144 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 43 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,184 |
| Environmental Control Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,268 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,705 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | $59,719 | $50,181 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,491 |
| Communication and Media StudiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | $47,357 | $43,243 |
| Computer ScienceAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,283 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,162 |
| Fire ProtectionCertificate | Certificate | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,436 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,650 |
| Political Science and GovernmentOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,147 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,586 |
| Special Education and TeachingAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,074 |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,758 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,647 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Palm Desert and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does College of the Desert cost?
$15,728 a year is the average net price at College of the Desert after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,326 for in-state students and $10,174 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $24,607. Families earning under $30,000 pay $14,872 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at College of the Desert?
College of the Desert has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do College of the Desert graduates earn?
$39,020 a year is the median pay of former College of the Desert students who work, 10 years after they started ($31,085 after 6 years). That ranks 2,854 of 5,094 US colleges and 309 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $91,848.
What is the graduation rate at College of the Desert?
31% of first-time, full-time students at College of the Desert finish within 3 years. 70% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at College of the Desert?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (841 certificate graduates), Psychology, General (145 associate's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (138 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 102 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.