College of the Desert vs. SBCC

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

 College of the Desert SBCC
Location Palm Desert, CA Santa Barbara, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 10,764 12,345
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu sbcc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert SBCC
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,548 $9,528
Room & Board $25,965 $20,232
Avg Net Price $14,391 $12,883
Avg Grant Aid $5,823 $5,483
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 37%

Admission

 College of the Desert SBCC
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 19, 2026

Academics

 College of the Desert SBCC
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 35:1
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 (54%)
  • General Studies (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (4%)
  • Social Sciences (3%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert SBCC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $40,400
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 39%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $9,500
Median Loan Payment $55 $98

Diversity

 College of the Desert SBCC
% Men 8% 9%
% Women 10% 9%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 41%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 68% 33%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 2% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 College of the Desert SBCC
% In-State 96% 80%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Barbara City College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (12,345 students vs. 10,764 students)

College of the Desert vs. SBCC Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert is 16.7% more expensive to attend than SBCC for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.2% higher at College of the Desert than Santa Barbara City College ($9,548.00 vs. $9,528.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Barbara City College than College of the Desert ($12,883 vs. $14,391)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Barbara City College are 28.3% lower than costs at College of the Desert ($20,232 vs. $25,965)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Santa Barbara City College (86% vs. 37%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 6.2% larger than aid received Santa Barbara City College ($5,823 vs. $5,483)

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

College of the Desert vs. SBCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from Santa Barbara City College earn on average $5,300 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($40,400 vs. $35,100)
  • College of the Desert students graduate with a $4,162 lower median federal student loan debt than SBCC graduates. ($5,338 vs. $9,500)
  • College of the Desert graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than SBCC graduates. ($55 vs. $98)
  • More SBCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 35%)

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