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College Of The Desert

College Of The Desert

Established in 1958, College of the Desert or COD is a public two year community college, located in Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California. It is distinguished as the home of the Energy Technology Training Center, a nationally recognized leader in alternative fuel training. The College was also recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in 2000.

COD enrolls more than 10,000 students every term. The courses offered at the College address a local need for employees in the hospitality, medical and agriculture industries. COD confers A.A. degrees and certificate programs in culinary management, turf management, nursing and agriculture, as well as in unique vocations such as transportation technology and digital design.

COD participates in the Foothill Intercollegiate Conference under the jurisdiction of the California Community College Commission on Athletics.

Overview of College Of The Desert

College Of The Desert is found in Palm Desert, CA. Palm Desert is a large suburb. The school is a public institution. Students can earn degrees up to and including the Associate's degree at College Of The Desert.

Areas of Study

The school is known for its programs in liberal arts.

College Of The Desert Selectivity

College Of The Desert accepts all qualified applicants under its open-admission rules.

Faculty

The school has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at College Of The Desert is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.

Student Body

Students numbered 8,597 in 2007-2008 at the school.

College Of The Desert Tuition and Affordability

College Of The Desert is a relative bargain, with lower tuition and fees than most schools offering similar degrees.

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting College Of The Desert

College Of The Desert
43-500 Monterey Ave
Palm Desert, CA 92260
General Phone: (760) 346-8041
http://www.collegeofthedesert.edu

College Of The Desert Programs and Degrees (2008-2009)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts302interdisciplinary studies, political science, creative writing, economics, English, anthropology, history, sociology, ...
Nursing and Emergency Medicine117registered nursing, licensed practical nurse, EMT paramedic, home health aide, nursing assistant
Business and Management55business management, business, accounting
Family and Social Work33child development, human services
Therapy and Counseling32substance abuse counseling, psychology
Security and Law Enforcement27criminal justice and police, fire-fighting
Computer Science and Engineering16information technology, computer graphics, computer science
Landscaping and Horticulture15turf management, applied horticulture
Construction Trades10building inspector, construction manager
Art Studies8art studies
Hospitality7hospitality management, resort management
Music7music
Office and Administration6office management
Cooking and Culinary Arts6culinary arts
Engineering Technician6HVAC tech, drafting
Science5physics, chemistry, biology, geology, biological and physical sciences
Media4mass communication, journalism
Architecture and Planning3architectural tech
Conservation and Resource Management2conservation, environmental science, environmental studies
Religion and Philosophy2philosophy
Mathematics1mathematics
Nutrition and Exercise Therapy1health and physical education, dietetic technician, parks and recreation studies
Agricultural Science and Management0crop production, agricultural operations, agriculture
Mechanics and Repair0automobile mechanics, alternative fuel vehicle tech
Drama and Performing Arts0drama

Number of programs and degrees for College Of The Desert in 2008-2009:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Associate's degree54059
Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years728
Award of less than 1 academic year5314
Award of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years023

Student Body

In 2007-2008, College Of The Desert had a total enrollment of 8,597 students (5,504 full-time equivalent).

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate100%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White34%
Black4%
Hispanic48%
Asian5%
American Indian1%
Unknown6%
(Foreign Students)2%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 183%
18-1926%
20-2118%
22-2414%
25-2913%
30-347%
35-395%
40-498%
50-645%
65+1%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
California87%
State unknown13%

College Of The Desert Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time69 %
Part-Time44 %

College Of The Desert Room and Board (2007)

The school does not offer campus housing.

(Please refer to our profile of Palm Desert, California for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other California Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

College Of The Desert Expenses and Financial Aid (2008-2009)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 594
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 5,394
Books and supplies$ 1,566

Financial Aid:
College Of The Desert participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 118200)

College Of The Desert Faculty

College Of The Desert has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2008-2009):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured4124
Non-tenured, but on tenure track1827
Non-tenured and not on tenure track929

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
No academic rankcalendar year9$95,40912$84,297
All faculty totalcalendar year9$95,40912$84,297

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year23$96,38510$92,275
Associate professoracademic year15$82,67919$84,742
Assistant professoracademic year9$70,33410$71,467
Instructoracademic year2*6$63,770
No academic rankacademic year2*3$81,471
All faculty totalacademic year51$86,39948$80,720

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

College Of The Desert Degree Programs (2007)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations
Agriculture, General
Crop Production

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architectural Technology/Technician

ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Commerce, General

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Graphics
Computer Science
Information Technology

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Natural Resources/Conservation, General

CONSTRUCTION TRADES
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector

COOKING AND CULINARY ARTS
Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General
Heating/AC/Refrigeration Technology/Technician

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Child Development
Human Services, General

HOSPITALITY
Hospitality Administration/Management, General
Resort Management

LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURE
Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
Turf and Turfgrass Management

LIBERAL ARTS
Anthropology
Creative Writing
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
French Language and Literature
Geography
History, General
Humanities/Humanistic Studies
Italian Language and Literature
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Speech and Rhetorical Studies

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

MECHANICS AND REPAIR
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician

MEDIA
Journalism
Mass Communication/Media Studies

MUSIC
Music, General

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)
Home Health Aide/Home Attendant
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training
Nurse/Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Dietetic Technician (DTR)
Health and Physical Education, General
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies

OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION
Office Management and Supervision

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy

SCIENCE
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
Physics, General

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Police Science
Fire Science/Fire-fighting

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Psychology, General
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling

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College Of The Desert Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets College Of The Desert Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 1%College Of The Desert Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 9%College Of The Desert Number of students
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 10%College Of The Desert Salaries of full-time faculty
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 12%College Of The Desert Number of degree programs
Minority % of student body
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 14%College Of The Desert Minority % of student body
% of degrees in liberal arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 18%College Of The Desert % of degrees in liberal arts
% of degrees in therapy and counseling
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 20%College Of The Desert % of degrees in therapy and counseling
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Open admission
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Offers weekend classes
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Remedial classes for students
Offers remedial adult education
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Tenure system for quality teaching

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