College of the Desert vs. Sierra College

Should I go to College of the Desert or Sierra College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if College of the Desert or Sierra 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

ARC FLC Sac City Yuba College CMC CRC Sacramento State DVC Mt. San Jacinto CCD
College of the Desert vs. Sierra College comparison
College of the Desert Sierra College College 3 College 4
College of the Desert
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 College of the Desert Sierra College
Location Palm Desert, CA Rocklin, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 10,382 15,766
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu sierracollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert Sierra College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $8,496
Room & Board $17,784 $7,800
Avg Net Price $13,704 $6,270
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $5,067
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 82%

Admission

 College of the Desert Sierra 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 Sierra College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 23:1
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 (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert Sierra College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $36,100
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 32%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 N/A
Median Loan Payment $55 N/A

Diversity

 College of the Desert Sierra College
% Men 42% 45%
% Women 58% 55%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 20% 58%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 68% 27%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 College of the Desert Sierra College
% In-State 95% 98%
% Out-of-State 2% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Sierra College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (15,766 students vs. 10,382 students)

College of the Desert vs. Sierra College Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert is 16.7% more expensive to attend than Sierra College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.1% higher at College of the Desert than Sierra College ($9,100.00 vs. $8,496.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Sierra College than College of the Desert ($6,270 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sierra College are 128% lower than costs at College of the Desert ($7,800 vs. $17,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Sierra College (85% vs. 82%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 33.4% larger than aid received Sierra College ($6,758 vs. $5,067)

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

College of the Desert vs. Sierra College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from Sierra College earn on average $1,000 more per year than College of the Desert graduates after ten years. ($36,100 vs. $35,100)
  • More College of the Desert graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sierra College students, three years after graduation. (35% vs. 32%)

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