Cabrillo College vs. College of the Desert

Should I go to Cabrillo College or College of the Desert? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cabrillo College or College of the Desert is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Cabrillo College vs. College of the Desert comparison
Cabrillo College College of the Desert College 3 College 4
College of the Desert
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Overview

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
Location Aptos, CA Palm Desert, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 9,149 10,382
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cabrillo.edu collegeofthedesert.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $8,472 $9,100
Room & Board $21,375 $17,784
Avg Net Price $18,992 $13,704
Avg Grant Aid $5,872 $6,758
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 85%

Admission

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Apr 9, 2025

Academics

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (40%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (10%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)

Outcomes

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $35,100
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 35%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,500 $5,338
Median Loan Payment $108 $55

Diversity

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
% Men 44% 42%
% Women 56% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 48% 20%
% Black 1% 3%
% Hispanic 40% 68%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
% In-State 96% 95%
% Out-of-State 0% 2%

Campus

 Cabrillo College College of the Desert
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • College of the Desert is larger than than Cabrillo College based on total student enrollment (10,382 students vs. 9,149 students)

Cabrillo College vs. College of the Desert Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cabrillo College or College of the Desert?

  • College of the Desert is 16.7% more expensive to attend than Cabrillo College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.4% higher at College of the Desert than Cabrillo College ($9,100.00 vs. $8,472.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of the Desert than Cabrillo College ($13,704 vs. $18,992)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 20.2% lower than costs at Cabrillo College ($17,784 vs. $21,375)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Cabrillo College (85% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 15.1% larger than aid received Cabrillo College ($6,758 vs. $5,872)

Which college is harder to get into, Cabrillo College or College of the Desert? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between College of the Desert or Cabrillo College .

Cabrillo College vs. College of the Desert Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cabrillo College or College of the Desert? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between College of the Desert and Cabrillo College.

  • Graduates from Cabrillo College earn on average $5,100 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($40,200 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $5,162 lower median federal student loan debt than Cabrillo College graduates. ($5,338 vs. $10,500)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than Cabrillo College graduates. ($55 vs. $108)
  • More Cabrillo College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (40% vs. 35%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/