CHC vs. College of the Desert

Comparable Facts

Compare Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, CA with College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

College of the Desert is larger than CHC based on total student enrollment (12,861 students vs. 6,768 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Crafton Hills College is located in Yucaipa, CA (Rural Fringe setting); College of the Desert is in Palm Desert, CA (Small City setting).
• Crafton Hills College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. College of the Desert is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Crafton Hills College 19:1; College of the Desert 26:1.

CHC vs. College of the Desert Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CHC or College of the Desert? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Crafton Hills College than College of the Desert ($15,013 vs. $18,169).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of the Desert are 6.3% lower than at Crafton Hills College ($25,151 vs. $26,829).
• College of the Desert is 11.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than CHC (about $138 more per year; $1,326.00 vs. $1,188.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 43.1% higher at CHC than at College of the Desert (about $4,382 more per year; $14,556.00 vs. $10,174.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at College of the Desert than at Crafton Hills College (88% vs. 61%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 14.9% larger than aid received by Crafton Hills College students ($6,822 vs. $5,938).

CHC vs. College of the Desert Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CHC or College of the Desert? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between College of the Desert and CHC.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CHC - Open admission; College of the Desert - Open admission.
• Typical fall application deadline: CHC Aug 27, 2027.

CHC vs. College of the Desert Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CHC and College of the Desert? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Crafton Hills College earn a median of about $3,300 more per year than College of the Desert graduates about ten years after starting college ($38,400 vs. $35,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.