College of the Desert
College of the Desert at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
College of the Desert Featured Rankings
About College of the Desert
According to Wikipedia, College of the Desert is a public community college in Palm Desert, California. COD enrolls about 12,500 students, of which around one third attend college full-time. It serves the Coachella Valley of Riverside County. The college is federally recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution , receiving Title V grants.
College of the Desert Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 70% | 33% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does College of the Desert Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $1,326 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $17,315 |
| 30K - 48K | $17,223 |
| 48K - 75K | $18,397 |
| 75K - 110K | $20,629 |
| 110K+ | $19,565 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do College of the Desert Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former College of the Desert students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $44,228 a year, and 85% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
College of the Desert's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 15,931 | 15,931 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is College of the Desert?
College of the Desert is located at 43-500 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260.
How Safe is College of the Desert?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, College of the Desert publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, College of the Desert has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Palm Desert has a violent crime rate of 0.32% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 2.83%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is College of the Desert Known For?
College of the Desert is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Sociology
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Engineering
- Political Science
- Social Work
- Communications
- Education
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Literature
- Economics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Nursing
College of the Desert's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much College of the Desert's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
College of the Desert ranks #573 in the U.S. and #1983 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #700 in the U.S. and #2712 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #922 in the U.S. and #2860 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #981 in the U.S. and #1877 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1070 in the U.S. and #3962 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1089 in the U.S. and #5718 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1105 in the U.S. and #4788 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1107 in the U.S. and #2669 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1123 in the U.S. and #4249 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1146 in the U.S. and #4803 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1421 in the U.S. and #5915 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1505 in the U.S. and #6162 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1567 in the U.S. and #4792 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1607 in the U.S. and #7447 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1887 in the U.S. and #6732 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1894 in the U.S. and #6810 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1896 in the U.S. and #6535 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1912 in the U.S. and #6416 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #1912 in the U.S. and #4962 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #2244 in the U.S. and #8141 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #2557 in the U.S. and #6867 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesCollege of the Desert ranks #2563 in the U.S. and #6738 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are College of the Desert's Most Influential Alumni?
College of the Desert's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Social Work. Here are some of College of the Desert's most famous alumni:
