College of the Desert vs. CMC

Deciding between College of the Desert and Copper Mountain Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

College of the Desert

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA
  • CMC Joshua Tree, CA
  • Setting
  • College of the Desert Small City
  • CMC Distant Rural
  • Total enrollment
  • College of the Desert 12,861
  • CMC 2,019
  • Type
  • College of the Desert Public 2 Year
  • CMC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • College of the Desert -
  • CMC -
  • Status
  • College of the Desert Non-profit
  • CMC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • College of the Desert $1,326
  • CMC $1,390
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • College of the Desert $10,174
  • CMC $13,570
  • Room & Board
  • College of the Desert $25,151
  • CMC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • College of the Desert $18,169
  • CMC $9,827
  • Average Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert $6,822
  • CMC $7,478
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert 88%
  • CMC 93%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • College of the Desert -
  • CMC -
  • Admitted
  • College of the Desert -
  • CMC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • College of the Desert Open
  • CMC Open
  • Enrolled
  • College of the Desert Open
  • CMC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC
  • Typical ACT score
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC
  • Average High School GPA
  • College of the Desert -
  • CMC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • College of the Desert -
  • CMC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • College of the Desert Unavailable
  • CMC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC
  • ACT Range
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC
  • SAT Range
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • College of the Desert Open admission
  • CMC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • College of the Desert
  • CMC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • College of the Desert 26:1
  • CMC 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • College of the Desert
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
    • Health Professions (18%)
    • Business (10%)
    • General Studies (5%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • CMC
    • Health Professions (30%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (28%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Business (9%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • College of the Desert -
  • CMC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • College of the Desert $35,100
  • CMC $33,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • College of the Desert 35%
  • CMC 28%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • College of the Desert $5,338
  • CMC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • College of the Desert $55
  • CMC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • College of the Desert 43%
  • CMC 36%
  • % Women
  • College of the Desert 57%
  • CMC 64%
  • Racial Diversity
  • College of the Desert Medium
  • CMC High
  • HBCU
  • College of the Desert No
  • CMC No
  • % White
  • College of the Desert 20%
  • CMC 52%
  • % Asian
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • CMC 4%
  • % Black
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • CMC 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • College of the Desert 68%
  • CMC 27%
  • % Native American
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • CMC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • CMC 7%
  • % International
  • College of the Desert 2%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • College of the Desert 1%
  • CMC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • College of the Desert 98%
  • CMC 90%
  • % Out-of-State
  • College of the Desert 1%
  • CMC 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • College of the Desert No
  • CMC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • College of the Desert No
  • CMC No
  • Meal Plan
  • College of the Desert No
  • CMC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • College of the Desert Yes
  • CMC No
  • Daycare Facility
  • College of the Desert Yes
  • CMC No

Comparable Facts

Compare College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA with Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

College of the Desert is larger than CMC based on total student enrollment (12,861 students vs. 2,019 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • College of the Desert is located in Palm Desert, CA (Small City setting); Copper Mountain Community College is in Joshua Tree, CA (Distant Rural setting).
  • College of the Desert is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Copper Mountain Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: College of the Desert 26:1; Copper Mountain Community College 18:1.

College of the Desert vs. CMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, College of the Desert or CMC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Copper Mountain Community College than College of the Desert ($9,827 vs. $18,169).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Copper Mountain Community College are 12.2% lower than at College of the Desert ($22,086 vs. $25,151).
  • Copper Mountain Community College is 4.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than College of the Desert (about $64 more per year; $1,390.00 vs. $1,326.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 33.4% higher at CMC than at College of the Desert (about $3,396 more per year; $13,570.00 vs. $10,174.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Copper Mountain Community College than at College of the Desert (93% vs. 88%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Copper Mountain Community College students is 9.6% larger than aid received by College of the Desert students ($7,478 vs. $6,822).

College of the Desert vs. CMC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, College of the Desert or CMC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between CMC and College of the Desert.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: College of the Desert - Open admission; CMC - Open admission.

College of the Desert vs. CMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for College of the Desert and CMC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from College of the Desert earn a median of about $2,100 more per year than CMC graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,100 vs. $33,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More College of the Desert graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMC students, three years after graduation. (35% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.