College of the Desert vs. LMC

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

 College of the Desert LMC
Location Palm Desert, CA Pittsburg, CA
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 10,382 7,791
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu losmedanos.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert LMC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $8,988
Room & Board $17,784 $20,493
Avg Net Price $13,704 $7,459
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $4,378
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 84%

Admission

 College of the Desert LMC
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 9, 2025

Academics

 College of the Desert LMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 22:1
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 (37%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (11%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Business (7%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert LMC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $40,700
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 N/A
Median Loan Payment $55 N/A

Diversity

 College of the Desert LMC
% Men 42% 43%
% Women 58% 57%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 28%
% Black 3% 15%
% Hispanic 68% 38%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

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

Campus

 College of the Desert LMC
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 LMC based on total student enrollment (10,382 students vs. 7,791 students)

College of the Desert vs. LMC Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert and LMC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.2% higher at College of the Desert than Los Medanos College ($9,100.00 vs. $8,988.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Los Medanos College than College of the Desert ($7,459 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 15.2% lower than costs at Los Medanos College ($17,784 vs. $20,493)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Los Medanos College (85% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 54.4% larger than aid received Los Medanos College ($6,758 vs. $4,378)

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

College of the Desert vs. LMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from Los Medanos College earn on average $5,600 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($40,700 vs. $35,100)
  • More LMC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (43% vs. 35%)

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