Desert College vs Central Arizona College

College of the Desert and Central Arizona College, both esteemed community colleges in their respective states, offer unique educational experiences to students seeking higher education. While they share similarities in their commitment to providing affordable, quality education, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. This side-by-side comparison delves into the nuances of each institution, exploring differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Whether you're a high school graduate seeking your first college experience or an adult learner looking to advance your career, this comprehensive analysis will help you identify the institution that best aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Central Arizona College	College of the Desert
Overview
Location	Coolidge, Arizona	Palm Desert, California
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	59.0%	67.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $13,980 Out of state: $16,560	In state: $24,465 Out of state: $32,109
Average net price	$5,933	$14,179
Tuition	In state: $2,580 Out of state: $5,160	In state: $1,288 Out of state: $8,932
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,000 Meal plan: $4,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	72.0% Average amount $4,254	95.0% Average amount $5,621
Students receiving federal student loan	2.0% Average amount $4,685
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,841 Men 36.6% Women 63.4%	10,229 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	2.6%	1.5%
International students	1.0%	0.6%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	250	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arizona California Washington New Mexico Oregon	California Colorado Arizona Florida Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Education Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Business Liberal Arts Psychology Health Professions Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	24:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	19.4%	29.4%
Dropout rate	52.1%	48.9%
Transferred out	17.2%	5.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $72,832 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $29,186 Year 2: $30,277 Year 3: $32,235 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $30,579 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $45,246 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $79,088 Year 2: $73,446 Year 3: $79,174 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $20,301 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $41,242 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,277 Year 2: $21,781 Year 3: $25,003 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,771 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $23,897 Psychology, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $16,835 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $35,428 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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