College of the Desert vs. DVC

Deciding between College of the Desert and Diablo Valley 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

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA
  • DVC Pleasant Hill, CA
  • Setting
  • College of the Desert Small City
  • DVC Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • College of the Desert 12,861
  • DVC 17,228
  • Type
  • College of the Desert Public 2 Year
  • DVC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • College of the Desert
  • DVC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • College of the Desert -
  • DVC -
  • Status
  • College of the Desert Non-profit
  • DVC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • College of the Desert
  • DVC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • College of the Desert $1,326
  • DVC $1,312
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • College of the Desert $10,174
  • DVC $10,320
  • Room & Board
  • College of the Desert $25,151
  • DVC $23,238
  • Average Net Price
  • College of the Desert $18,169
  • DVC $11,001
  • Average Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert $6,822
  • DVC $4,441
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert 88%
  • DVC 61%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • College of the Desert 26:1
  • DVC 25:1
  • 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%)
  • DVC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
    • Work and Family Studies (14%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Health Professions (11%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • College of the Desert -
  • DVC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • College of the Desert $35,100
  • DVC $44,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • College of the Desert 35%
  • DVC 52%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • College of the Desert $5,338
  • DVC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • College of the Desert $55
  • DVC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • College of the Desert 43%
  • DVC 49%
  • % Women
  • College of the Desert 57%
  • DVC 51%
  • Racial Diversity
  • College of the Desert Medium
  • DVC Very High
  • HBCU
  • College of the Desert No
  • DVC No
  • % White
  • College of the Desert 20%
  • DVC 38%
  • % Asian
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • DVC 15%
  • % Black
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • DVC 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • College of the Desert 68%
  • DVC 23%
  • % Native American
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • DVC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • DVC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • DVC 8%
  • % International
  • College of the Desert 2%
  • DVC 9%
  • % Unknown Race
  • College of the Desert 1%
  • DVC 1%

  • Students

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

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA with Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Diablo Valley College is larger than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (17,228 students vs. 12,861 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • College of the Desert is located in Palm Desert, CA (Small City setting); Diablo Valley College is in Pleasant Hill, CA (Large Suburban setting).
  • College of the Desert is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Diablo Valley College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: College of the Desert 26:1; Diablo Valley College 25:1.

College of the Desert vs. DVC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, College of the Desert or DVC? 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 Diablo Valley College than College of the Desert ($11,001 vs. $18,169).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Diablo Valley College are 7.6% lower than at College of the Desert ($23,238 vs. $25,151).
  • College of the Desert is 1.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than DVC (about $14 more per year; $1,326.00 vs. $1,312.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 1.4% higher at DVC than at College of the Desert (about $146 more per year; $10,320.00 vs. $10,174.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at College of the Desert than at Diablo Valley College (88% vs. 61%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 53.6% larger than aid received by Diablo Valley College students ($6,822 vs. $4,441).

College of the Desert vs. DVC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, College of the Desert or DVC? 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 DVC 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; DVC - Open admission.

College of the Desert vs. DVC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for College of the Desert and DVC? 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 Diablo Valley College earn a median of about $9,700 more per year than College of the Desert graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 vs. $35,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More DVC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (52% vs. 35%)

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.