College of the Desert vs. Palomar College

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

 College of the Desert Palomar College
Location Palm Desert, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 10,382 17,655
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu palomar.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert Palomar College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $10,584
Room & Board $17,784 $22,338
Avg Net Price $13,704 $8,476
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $5,896
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 80%

Admission

 College of the Desert Palomar 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

Academics

 College of the Desert Palomar College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 21:1
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 (36%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert Palomar College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $39,700
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 30%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $7,000
Median Loan Payment $55 $72

Diversity

 College of the Desert Palomar College
% Men 42% 53%
% Women 58% 47%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 40%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 68% 40%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

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

Campus

 College of the Desert Palomar College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Palomar College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (17,655 students vs. 10,382 students)

College of the Desert vs. Palomar College Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert and Palomar College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.3% higher at Palomar College than College of the Desert ($10,584.00 vs. $9,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Palomar College than College of the Desert ($8,476 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 25.6% lower than costs at Palomar College ($17,784 vs. $22,338)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Palomar College (85% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 14.6% larger than aid received Palomar College ($6,758 vs. $5,896)

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

College of the Desert vs. Palomar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, College of the Desert or Palomar 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 Palomar College and College of the Desert.

  • Graduates from Palomar College earn on average $4,600 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($39,700 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $1,662 lower median federal student loan debt than Palomar College graduates. ($5,338 vs. $7,000)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than Palomar College graduates. ($55 vs. $72)
  • More College of the Desert graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Palomar College students, three years after graduation. (35% vs. 30%)

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