College of the Desert vs. SAC

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

 College of the Desert SAC
Location Palm Desert, CA Santa Ana, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 10,382 23,852
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu sac.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert SAC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $8,712
Room & Board $17,784 $19,302
Avg Net Price $13,704 $4,700
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $7,374
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 97%

Admission

 College of the Desert SAC
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 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

 College of the Desert SAC
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 31:1
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 (56%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Work and Family Studies (2%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert SAC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $37,500
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $7,500
Median Loan Payment $55 $77

Diversity

 College of the Desert SAC
% Men 42% 57%
% Women 58% 43%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 21%
% Black 3% 1%
% Hispanic 68% 50%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 15%

Students

 College of the Desert SAC
% In-State 95% 97%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

 College of the Desert SAC
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

  • Santa Ana College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (23,852 students vs. 10,382 students)

College of the Desert vs. SAC Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert is 16.7% more expensive to attend than SAC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.5% higher at College of the Desert than Santa Ana College ($9,100.00 vs. $8,712.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Ana College than College of the Desert ($4,700 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 8.5% lower than costs at Santa Ana College ($17,784 vs. $19,302)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Ana College than College of the Desert (97% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Ana College students is 9.1% larger than aid received College of the Desert ($7,374 vs. $6,758)

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

College of the Desert vs. SAC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from Santa Ana College earn on average $2,400 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($37,500 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $2,162 lower median federal student loan debt than SAC graduates. ($5,338 vs. $7,500)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than SAC graduates. ($55 vs. $77)
  • More SAC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 35%)

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