College of the Desert vs. Pierce College

Should I go to College of the Desert or Los Angeles Pierce College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if College of the Desert or Pierce College 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. Los Angeles Pierce College comparison
College of the Desert Los Angeles Pierce College College 3 College 4
College of the Desert Los Angeles Pierce College
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Overview

 College of the Desert Pierce College
Location Palm Desert, CA Woodland Hills, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 10,382 15,372
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu piercecollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert Pierce College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,196
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $9,828
Room & Board $17,784 $17,784
Avg Net Price $13,704 $13,422
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $7,154
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 70%

Admission

 College of the Desert Pierce College
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

 College of the Desert Pierce College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 27:1
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 (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (5%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert Pierce College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $39,800
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 33%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $10,500
Median Loan Payment $55 $108

Diversity

 College of the Desert Pierce College
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 29%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 68% 47%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 College of the Desert Pierce College
% In-State 95% 94%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

 College of the Desert Pierce College
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

  • Los Angeles Pierce College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (15,372 students vs. 10,382 students)

College of the Desert vs. Pierce College Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert is 7.7% more expensive to attend than Pierce College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,196.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8% higher at Pierce College than College of the Desert ($9,828.00 vs. $9,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Los Angeles Pierce College than College of the Desert ($13,422 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Los Angeles Pierce College are 0% lower than costs at College of the Desert ($17,784 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Los Angeles Pierce College (85% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Los Angeles Pierce College students is 5.9% larger than aid received College of the Desert ($7,154 vs. $6,758)

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

College of the Desert vs. Pierce College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from Los Angeles Pierce College earn on average $4,700 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($39,800 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $5,162 lower median federal student loan debt than Pierce College graduates. ($5,338 vs. $10,500)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than Pierce College graduates. ($55 vs. $108)
  • More College of the Desert graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pierce College students, three years after graduation. (35% vs. 33%)

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