Desert College vs Imperial Valley College

College of the Desert and Imperial Valley College, both esteemed community colleges in California, offer unique educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. College of the Desert boasts an acceptance rate of 100%, welcoming all students with open arms, while Imperial Valley College's acceptance rate stands at 99%, demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity. In terms of student body demographics, College of the Desert's student population is predominantly Hispanic (63%), while Imperial Valley College's student body is largely Hispanic (73%). Both institutions offer a wide range of popular majors, including Liberal Arts and Humanities, Business, and Health Professions, catering to students' varied academic interests. While College of the Desert boasts a higher graduation rate (62%) compared to Imperial Valley College's 49%, both colleges are dedicated to providing students with the necessary support and resources to achieve their academic goals. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the distinctions between these two exceptional community colleges and make an
College of the Desert logo

College of the Desert

Imperial Valley College logo

Imperial Valley College

Overview

Location Palm Desert, California Imperial, California
Campus setting City: Small Rural: Fringe
College type 2 year 2 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 67.0% 77.0%
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: $24,465

Out of state: $32,109
In state: $25,390

Out of state: $30,910
Average net price $14,179 $2,300
Tuition
In state: $1,288

Out of state: $8,932
In state: $1,104

Out of state: $6,624
Room & board
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $5,621
94.0%
Average amount $7,842
Students receiving federal student loan
Students taking out private loans

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 10,229
Men 41.1% Women 58.9%
7,225
Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 1.5% 6.9%
International students 0.6% 0.0%
Campus local/setting City: Small Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity N/A N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? N/A N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Colorado Arizona Florida Indiana California

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
  • Psychology
  • Health Professions
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Liberal Arts
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 24:1 32:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 29.4% 36.3%
Dropout rate 48.9% 41.5%
Transferred out 5.0% 4.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,127
  • Year 2: $65,238
  • Year 3: $71,621
Biological and Physical Sciences (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $16,769
  • Year 2: $26,896
  • Year 3: $40,086
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $18,385
  • Year 2: $17,794
  • Year 3: $25,987
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $12,572
  • Year 2: $14,759
  • Year 3: $20,293
Psychology, General (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $10,969
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,565
  • Year 3: N/A

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