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What College of the Desert costs

Palm Desert, California · Public · 10,764 undergrads

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College of the Desert's in-state sticker price was $20,053 a year (College Scorecard). In-state students with federal aid paid $14,391 on average after grants in 2022-23 (IPEDS); families earning under $30,000 paid $10,791. Out-of-state students pay $8,260 more in tuition.

What does College of the Desert cost?

$14,391 a year in-state

Out of state: about $22,651 a year

What in-state students who got federal aid paid on average after grants, 2022-23. The in-state sticker price, with housing and food, is $20,053.

Tap your family income:

Average paid after grants by family income
under $30,000$10,791
$30,000–$48,000$11,894
$48,000–$75,000$13,598
$75,000–$110,000$16,462
over $110,000$18,265

Out-of-state tuition is $9,586 a year, against $1,326 in state. The out-of-state figure adds that $8,260 to the in-state average. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Own a business or have divorced parents? Run College of the Desert's own calculator.

Net price 2022-23, College Scorecard.

By family income

In-state families who got federal aid, average paid per year after grants.

Family incomeIn-state, average paidOut of state, estimate
Under $30,000$10,791$19,051
$30,000–$48,000$11,894$20,154
$48,000–$75,000$13,598$21,858
$75,000–$110,000$16,462$24,722
Over $110,000$18,265$26,525

The out-of-state estimate is the in-state average plus the $8,260 more in tuition that College of the Desert charges students from other states. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Run College of the Desert's own calculator

For in-state families earning under $30,000, grants took 46% off College of the Desert's sticker price.

Business owner, divorced parents, or savings? The averages can't see that; College of the Desert's own calculator can.

Got an aid offer? See how to compare aid offers and ask for more.

The sticker price

$1,326
Tuition, in state
$9,586
Tuition, out of state
$20,053
Full sticker price, tuition, housing, food, books

Out-of-state students pay $8,260 more in tuition at College of the Desert and usually get less aid.

32%
of undergrads get a Pell Grant, the federal grant for lower-income students.
$4,427
average grant for students who got aid.
0.5%
of undergrads take a federal loan.
$5,261
median federal debt at graduation.

Questions people ask

How much does College of the Desert cost for a family earning $25,000?
In-state families earning under $30,000 paid $10,791 a year on average after grants (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $20,053. Your own price depends on your family's finances; College of the Desert's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does College of the Desert cost for a family earning $40,000?
In-state families earning $30,000–$48,000 paid $11,894 a year on average after grants (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $20,053. Your own price depends on your family's finances; College of the Desert's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does College of the Desert cost for a family earning $60,000?
In-state families earning $48,000–$75,000 paid $13,598 a year on average after grants (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $20,053. Your own price depends on your family's finances; College of the Desert's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does College of the Desert cost for out-of-state students?
Out-of-state tuition at College of the Desert is $9,586 a year, against $1,326 for in-state students. In-state students who got federal aid paid $14,391 on average after grants in 2022-23. Adding the $8,260 tuition gap gives about $22,651 a year from out of state. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.
Where these numbers come from

Updated May 8, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers