College of the Desert vs. GCC

Deciding between College of the Desert and Glendale 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
Glendale Community College

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA
  • GCC Glendale, CA
  • Setting
  • College of the Desert Small City
  • GCC Midsize City
  • Total enrollment
  • College of the Desert 12,861
  • GCC 12,075
  • Type
  • College of the Desert Public 2 Year
  • GCC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • College of the Desert
  • GCC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • College of the Desert -
  • GCC -
  • Status
  • College of the Desert Non-profit
  • GCC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • College of the Desert
  • GCC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • College of the Desert $1,326
  • GCC $1,191
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • College of the Desert $10,174
  • GCC $10,935
  • Room & Board
  • College of the Desert $25,151
  • GCC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • College of the Desert $18,169
  • GCC $10,060
  • Average Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert $6,822
  • GCC $6,418
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert 88%
  • GCC 85%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • College of the Desert 26:1
  • GCC 28:1
  • 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%)
  • GCC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (25%)
    • Business (24%)
    • Health Professions (24%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)
    • Work and Family Studies (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • College of the Desert -
  • GCC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • College of the Desert $35,100
  • GCC $38,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • College of the Desert 35%
  • GCC 56%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • College of the Desert $5,338
  • GCC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • College of the Desert $55
  • GCC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • College of the Desert 43%
  • GCC 47%
  • % Women
  • College of the Desert 57%
  • GCC 53%
  • Racial Diversity
  • College of the Desert Medium
  • GCC High
  • HBCU
  • College of the Desert No
  • GCC No
  • % White
  • College of the Desert 20%
  • GCC 45%
  • % Asian
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • GCC 10%
  • % Black
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • GCC 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • College of the Desert 68%
  • GCC 32%
  • % Native American
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • GCC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • GCC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • GCC 3%
  • % International
  • College of the Desert 2%
  • GCC 5%
  • % Unknown Race
  • College of the Desert 1%
  • GCC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • College of the Desert 98%
  • GCC 93%
  • % Out-of-State
  • College of the Desert 1%
  • GCC 0%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

College of the Desert is larger than GCC based on total student enrollment (12,861 students vs. 12,075 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • College of the Desert is located in Palm Desert, CA (Small City setting); Glendale Community College is in Glendale, CA (Midsize City setting).
  • College of the Desert is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Glendale Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: College of the Desert 26:1; Glendale Community College 28:1.

College of the Desert vs. GCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, College of the Desert or GCC? 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 Glendale Community College than College of the Desert ($10,060 vs. $18,169).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Glendale Community College are 12.2% lower than at College of the Desert ($22,086 vs. $25,151).
  • College of the Desert is 11.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than GCC (about $135 more per year; $1,326.00 vs. $1,191.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 7.5% higher at GCC than at College of the Desert (about $761 more per year; $10,935.00 vs. $10,174.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at College of the Desert than at Glendale Community College (88% vs. 85%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 6.3% larger than aid received by Glendale Community College students ($6,822 vs. $6,418).

College of the Desert vs. GCC Admissions comparison

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

College of the Desert vs. GCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for College of the Desert and GCC? 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 Glendale Community College earn a median of about $3,100 more per year than College of the Desert graduates about ten years after starting college ($38,200 vs. $35,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More GCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (56% 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.