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Is College of the Desert worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for College of the Desert, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
College of the Desert sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $44,228 helps, but median debt of $8,750 plus yearly net price of $17,769 creates a tighter path. For context, College of the Desert's net price sits about 90% above the typical 2-year, public school and near the top of its sector range. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$14,391
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $6,836 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $27,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$17,769
Median earnings 10 years out
$44,228
Median debt at graduation
$8,750
Graduation rate
32%
At College of the Desert, a typical graduate carries about $8,750 in student debt and earns roughly $44,228 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $99 per month, or 3% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $2,428 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
65% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
College of the Desert is a two year school in Palm Desert, CA. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Cabrillo
Aptos, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $17,735
2-year
Hinton Barber and Beauty
Vallejo, CA
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $17,716
2-year
Capstone
Pasadena, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $17,601
2-year
Stellar Career
Modesto, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $17,430
2-year
Design's School of Cosmetology
Paso Robles, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $18,268
Common questions about College of the Desert
The median net price at College of the Desert is $17,769 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in California? See the most affordable community colleges in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at College of the Desert in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$18,169a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →