Desert College vs Gavilan College

College of the Desert and Gavilan College, both esteemed community colleges in California, offer unique educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. College of the Desert, nestled in the Coachella Valley, boasts an acceptance rate of 100%, welcoming all students with open arms. Gavilan College, situated in the heart of the Salinas Valley, maintains a slightly more selective admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 98%. While College of the Desert excels in programs like Liberal Arts and Humanities, Gavilan College shines in fields such as Agriculture and Natural Resources. Both institutions foster inclusive environments, with College of the Desert's student body comprising 53% Hispanic students and Gavilan College's student body reflecting a 56% Hispanic population. As you explore the comprehensive comparison table below, discover the nuances that set these colleges apart and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	College of the Desert	Gavilan College
Overview
Location	Palm Desert, California	Gilroy, California
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Small
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	70.0%
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: $22,889 Out of state: $28,937
Average net price	$14,179	$8,705
Tuition	In state: $1,288 Out of state: $8,932	In state: $1,104 Out of state: $7,152
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $5,621	57.0% Average amount $4,497
Students receiving federal student loan
Students taking out private loans

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	10,229 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%	4,538 Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	1.5%	0.4%
International students	0.6%	0.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Small
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 Nevada New Mexico

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Liberal Arts Psychology Health Professions Family and Consumer Sciences	Liberal Arts Law Enforcement and Firefighting Health Professions Business Automotive Technology
Students to faculty ratio	24:1	22:1
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%	31.3%
Dropout rate	48.9%	45.2%
Transferred out	5.0%	10.7%
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	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $76,615 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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