College of the Desert vs. San Diego Mesa College

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

 College of the Desert San Diego Mesa College
Location Palm Desert, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 10,382 18,076
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu sdmesa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert San Diego Mesa College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $7,400
Room & Board $17,784 $17,786
Avg Net Price $13,704 $8,506
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $6,656
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 57%

Admission

 College of the Desert San Diego Mesa 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 San Diego Mesa College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Business (10%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert San Diego Mesa College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $41,600
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 41%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $4,500
Median Loan Payment $55 $46

Diversity

 College of the Desert San Diego Mesa College
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 33%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 68% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 College of the Desert San Diego Mesa College
% In-State 95% 98%
% Out-of-State 2% 1%

Campus

 College of the Desert San Diego Mesa 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

  • San Diego Mesa College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (18,076 students vs. 10,382 students)

College of the Desert vs. San Diego Mesa College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, College of the Desert or San Diego Mesa College?

  • College of the Desert is 16.7% more expensive to attend than San Diego Mesa College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23% higher at College of the Desert than San Diego Mesa College ($9,100.00 vs. $7,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego Mesa College than College of the Desert ($8,506 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 0% lower than costs at San Diego Mesa College ($17,784 vs. $17,786)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than San Diego Mesa College (85% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 1.5% larger than aid received San Diego Mesa College ($6,758 vs. $6,656)

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

College of the Desert vs. San Diego Mesa College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, College of the Desert or San Diego Mesa 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 San Diego Mesa College and College of the Desert.

  • Graduates from San Diego Mesa College earn on average $6,500 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($41,600 vs. $35,100)
  • San Diego Mesa College students graduate with a $838 lower median federal student loan debt than College of the Desert graduates. ($4,500 vs. $5,338)
  • San Diego Mesa College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than College of the Desert graduates. ($46 vs. $55)
  • More San Diego Mesa College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (41% vs. 35%)

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