College of the Desert vs. CSM

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

College of the Desert CSM
Location Palm Desert, CA San Mateo, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 10,382 7,512
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu collegeofsanmateo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

College of the Desert CSM
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $9,408
Room & Board $17,784 $20,858
Avg Net Price $13,704 $6,344
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $7,086
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 64%

Admission

College of the Desert CSM
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

Academics

College of the Desert CSM
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (10%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)

Outcomes

College of the Desert CSM
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $7,000
Median Loan Payment $55 $72

Diversity

College of the Desert CSM
% Men 42% 49%
% Women 58% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 28%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 68% 30%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 2%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

College of the Desert CSM
% In-State 95% 91%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

College of the Desert CSM
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 CSM based on total student enrollment (10,382 students vs. 7,512 students)

College of the Desert vs. CSM Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert and CSM cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.4% higher at CSM than College of the Desert ($9,408.00 vs. $9,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of San Mateo than College of the Desert ($6,344 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 17.3% lower than costs at College of San Mateo ($17,784 vs. $20,858)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than College of San Mateo (85% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of San Mateo students is 4.9% larger than aid received College of the Desert ($7,086 vs. $6,758)

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

College of the Desert vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, College of the Desert or CSM? 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 CSM and College of the Desert.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $9,700 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $1,662 lower median federal student loan debt than CSM graduates. ($5,338 vs. $7,000)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than CSM graduates. ($55 vs. $72)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 35%)

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