Cerro Coso Community College vs. College of the Desert

Should I go to Cerro Coso Community College or College of the Desert? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cerro Coso Community 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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Cerro Coso Community College vs. College of the Desert comparison
Cerro Coso Community College College of the Desert College 3 College 4
College of the Desert
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Overview

 Cerro Coso Community College College of the Desert
Location Ridgecrest, CA Palm Desert, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 4,919 10,382
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cerrocoso.edu collegeofthedesert.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cerro Coso Community College College of the Desert
Tuition (In State) $1,380 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,510 $9,100
Room & Board $17,253 $17,784
Avg Net Price $11,826 $13,704
Avg Grant Aid $6,596 $6,758
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 85%

Admission

 Cerro Coso Community 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 Aug 20, 2025

Academics

 Cerro Coso Community College College of the Desert
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 26:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (50%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (10%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)

Outcomes

 Cerro Coso Community College College of the Desert
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,600 $35,100
Making Student Loan Payments - 35%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $5,338
Median Loan Payment N/A $55

Diversity

 Cerro Coso Community College College of the Desert
% Men 43% 42%
% Women 57% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 46% 20%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 39% 68%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Cerro Coso Community College College of the Desert
% In-State 99% 95%
% Out-of-State 1% 2%

Campus

 Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College based on total student enrollment (10,382 students vs. 4,919 students)

Cerro Coso Community College vs. College of the Desert Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cerro Coso Community College or College of the Desert?

  • Cerro Coso Community College is 7.1% more expensive to attend than College of the Desert for in-state tuition ($1,380.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.5% higher at Cerro Coso Community College than College of the Desert ($9,510.00 vs. $9,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cerro Coso Community College than College of the Desert ($11,826 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cerro Coso Community College are 3.1% lower than costs at College of the Desert ($17,253 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Cerro Coso Community College (85% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 2.5% larger than aid received Cerro Coso Community College ($6,758 vs. $6,596)

Which college is harder to get into, Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College .

Cerro Coso Community College vs. College of the Desert Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cerro Coso Community 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 Cerro Coso Community College.

  • Graduates from College of the Desert earn on average $2,500 more per year than Cerro Coso Community College graduates after ten years. ($35,100 vs. $32,600)

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