College of the Desert
About
College of the Desert (COD) 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 (HSI), receiving Title V grants.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 64.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 114 Title IV programs, 9 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 104 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing9 · 7.9%
- No Data104 · 91.2%
- Failing1 · 0.9%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 4
Action history · 3
- Jan 2025Renewal of AccreditationAccrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Apr 2024Initial AccreditationAmerican Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
- Jan 2018Renewal of AccreditationAccrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 5,762 students received $24.8M in Pell grants, alongside $998K in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 81 borrowers who entered repayment, 10 (12.3%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at College of the Desert
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus2
- Public property2
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 5 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
College of the Desert vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions College of the Desert selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCollege of the Desert | 31% | — | 12,861 | $11,812 | Community College |
| — | — | 6,950 | $6,235 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,876 | $6,313 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,841 | $16,051 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,457 | $13,328 | Community College | |
| — | — | 14,082 | $5,416 | Community College | |
| — | — | 12,842 | $4,616 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,712 | $4,576 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,787 | $4,342 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,478 | $5,001 | Community College | |
| — | — | 10,337 | $4,620 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,397 | $4,550 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,273 | $2,895 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,873 | $1,697 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,103 | $4,175 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,455 | $5,692 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,980 | $10,421 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,718 | $6,258 | Community College | |
| — | — | 7,533 | $6,283 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,475 | $5,135 | Community College | |
| — | — | 7,361 | $659 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,399 | $5,252 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,364 | $8,508 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,218 | $10,818 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,897 | $3,407 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,098 | $7,062 | Community College | |
| — | 100.0% | 7,004 | $4,588 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,143 | $5,981 | Community College | |
| — | — | 12,222 | $2,257 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,963 | $10,477 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,899 | $4,153 | Community College | |
| Peer group median | 31% | 100.0% | 8,103 | $5,252 |
Institutions like College of the Desert
Explore the federal data for institutions in College of the Desert's comparison group.
- Community CollegeMassachusetts
Bristol Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,950Net price$6,235View data - Community CollegeMassachusetts
Bunker Hill Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,876Net price$6,313View data - Community CollegeKansas
Butler Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,841Net price$16,051View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Cabrillo College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,457Net price$13,328View data - Community CollegeNorth Carolina
Cape Fear Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment14,082Net price$5,416View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Chabot College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment12,842Net price$4,616View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Columbia State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,712Net price$4,576View data - Community CollegeNew York
CUNY Bronx Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,787Net price$4,342View data - Community CollegeNew York
CUNY Hostos Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,478Net price$5,001View data - Community CollegeNew York
CUNY Queensborough Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment10,337Net price$4,620View data - Community CollegeMichigan
Delta College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,397Net price$4,550View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Hartnell College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,273Net price$2,895View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Imperial Valley College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,873Net price$1,697View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Las Positas College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,103Net price$4,175View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Los Medanos College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,455Net price$5,692View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Motlow State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,980Net price$10,421View data - Community CollegeMichigan
Mott Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,718Net price$6,258View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Nashville State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,533Net price$6,283View data - Community CollegeOklahoma
Oklahoma City Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,475Net price$5,135View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Oxnard College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,361Net price$659View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Pellissippi State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,399Net price$5,252View data - Community CollegeNew York
Rockland Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,364Net price$8,508View data - Community CollegeNew Jersey
Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,218Net price$10,818View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Santiago Canyon College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,897Net price$3,407View data - Community CollegeTexas
South Plains College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,098Net price$7,062View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate100.0%Enrollment7,004Net price$4,588View data - Community CollegeMissouri
St Charles Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,143Net price$5,981View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Ventura College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment12,222Net price$2,257View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Volunteer State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,963Net price$10,477View data - Community CollegeTennessee
Walters State Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,899Net price$4,153View data
College of the Desert Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research supports the mission of College of the Desert by providing timely, accurate, objective data and information about the institution and the students it serves.
Visit IR office page- Oxana AghaeiDirector, Institutional Research
- Jenna HuntzingerProfessor, Counseling, EDGE
- Rosangelica GastelumOutreach Specialist EDGE
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Reports & documents (6)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionDefinition of TermsThis page provides definitions for key institutional research terms at the College of the Desert, including metrics related to student headcounts, enrollments, course success and retention, degrees and certificates earned, transfers, persistence, modality, and employment outcomes. The page is part of the Institutional Research section and aims to clarify terms for accurate data reporting and institutional planning.collegeofthedesert.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFact Book2024The Fact Book provides information on College of the Desert's data through public website links. It covers general information, student information such as headcounts, enrollment, student outcomes, program awards, and transfer volumes, and employee demographics. Additionally, it provides a glossary for terms and accessible data through the CCCCO Management Information Systems Data Mart and other dashboards for more specific insights.collegeofthedesert.edu
- GlossaryDefinition of Terms - Institutional ResearchThis glossary from the College of the Desert provides definitions for various terms used in their institutional research context. Key terms include metrics like headcount, enrollment, FTES, course success and retention rates, persistence, and modality. It also covers institutional goals such as degrees and certificates earned, transfers, and goals associated with the Vision for Success initiative. These terms are essential for understanding the data and outcomes related to institutional effectiveness and student success at the College of the Desert.collegeofthedesert.edu
- GlossaryFact Book - College of the DesertThe Fact Book at College of the Desert provides accessible institutional data through tools such as the CCCCO MIS Data Mart. It includes information on student headcount, enrollment, program awards, student outcomes, and transfer volumes to various universities. Additionally, it provides data on employee demographics and incorporates an environmental scan within the Strategic Educational Master Plan. The resources are aimed at decision-making and research support, offering a comprehensive overview of the college's operations and achievements.collegeofthedesert.edu
- Strategic planCollege of the Desert Strategic Master Plan2023The College of the Desert’s Strategic Master Plan 2023-2028 outlines strategic goals, objectives, and actions to guide the college’s future and fulfill its mission. With a focus on improving student success and equity, the plan aligns with both state and national higher education initiatives while focusing on community engagement and institutional accountability. Through collaborative efforts, the plan addresses challenges, leverages strengths, and seeks to expand opportunities for the college’s diverse communities.collegeofthedesert.edu
Notable alumni of College of the Desert (6)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Juan Carrillo
- Caesar Frazier
- William Hemmerdinger
- Jordan Howlett
- Malcolm Kokocinski
- Jimmie Villalobos
Frequently asked questions about College of the Desert
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about College of the Desert.
What is the graduation rate at College of the Desert?
How many students attend College of the Desert?
What is the average net price at College of the Desert?
Where is College of the Desert located?
Who runs Institutional Research at College of the Desert?
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