College of the Desert vs. Southwestern College

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

 College of the Desert Southwestern College
Location Palm Desert, CA Chula Vista, CA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 10,382 16,530
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeofthedesert.edu swccd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 College of the Desert Southwestern College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,100 $9,436
Room & Board $17,784 $22,086
Avg Net Price $13,704 $13,362
Avg Grant Aid $6,758 $6,613
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 84%

Admission

 College of the Desert Southwestern 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 Southwestern College
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 22:1
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 (28%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (3%)

Outcomes

 College of the Desert Southwestern College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,100 $34,100
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 36%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,338 $4,500
Median Loan Payment $55 $46

Diversity

 College of the Desert Southwestern College
% Men 42% 45%
% Women 58% 55%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 20% 10%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 68% 69%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 College of the Desert Southwestern College
% In-State 95% 91%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

 College of the Desert Southwestern 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

  • Southwestern College is larger than than College of the Desert based on total student enrollment (16,530 students vs. 10,382 students)

College of the Desert vs. Southwestern College Cost Comparison

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

  • College of the Desert and Southwestern College cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.7% higher at Southwestern College than College of the Desert ($9,436.00 vs. $9,100.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern College than College of the Desert ($13,362 vs. $13,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 24.2% lower than costs at Southwestern College ($17,784 vs. $22,086)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Desert than Southwestern College (85% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 2.2% larger than aid received Southwestern College ($6,758 vs. $6,613)

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

College of the Desert vs. Southwestern College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • Graduates from College of the Desert earn on average $1,000 more per year than Southwestern College graduates after ten years. ($35,100 vs. $34,100)
  • Southwestern College students graduate with a $838 lower median federal student loan debt than College of the Desert graduates. ($4,500 vs. $5,338)
  • Southwestern College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than College of the Desert graduates. ($46 vs. $55)
  • More Southwestern College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former College of the Desert students, three years after graduation. (36% vs. 35%)

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