College of the Desert vs. LTCC

Deciding between College of the Desert and Lake Tahoe Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,500 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

College of the Desert

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA
  • LTCC South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Setting
  • College of the Desert Small City
  • LTCC Distant Town
  • Enrollment
  • College of the Desert 12,861
  • LTCC 4,040
  • Type
  • College of the Desert Public 2 Year
  • LTCC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • College of the Desert -
  • LTCC -
  • Status
  • College of the Desert Non-profit
  • LTCC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • College of the Desert $38
  • LTCC $15
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • College of the Desert $38
  • LTCC $15
  • Room & Board
  • College of the Desert $25,151
  • LTCC $13,425
  • Average Net Price
  • College of the Desert $18,169
  • LTCC $11,799
  • Average Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert $6,822
  • LTCC $5,863
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • College of the Desert 88%
  • LTCC 64%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • College of the Desert -
  • LTCC -
  • Admitted
  • College of the Desert -
  • LTCC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • College of the Desert Open
  • LTCC Open
  • Enrolled
  • College of the Desert Open
  • LTCC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC
  • Typical ACT score
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC
  • Average High School GPA
  • College of the Desert -
  • LTCC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • College of the Desert -
  • LTCC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • College of the Desert Unavailable
  • LTCC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC
  • ACT Range
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC
  • SAT Range
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC
  • Application Deadline
  • College of the Desert
  • LTCC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • College of the Desert 26:1
  • LTCC 25:1
  • Popular Majors
  • College of the Desert
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
    • Health Professions (18%)
    • Business (10%)
    • General Studies (5%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • LTCC
    • General Studies (22%)
    • Social Sciences (19%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (14%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
    • Foreign Languages (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • College of the Desert -
  • LTCC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • College of the Desert $35,100
  • LTCC $31,100
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • College of the Desert 35%
  • LTCC -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • College of the Desert $5,338
  • LTCC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • College of the Desert $55
  • LTCC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • College of the Desert 9%
  • LTCC 5%
  • % Women
  • College of the Desert 12%
  • LTCC 5%
  • Racial Diversity
  • College of the Desert Medium
  • LTCC High
  • HBCU
  • College of the Desert No
  • LTCC No
  • % White
  • College of the Desert 20%
  • LTCC 58%
  • % Asian
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • LTCC 4%
  • % Black
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • LTCC 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • College of the Desert 68%
  • LTCC 27%
  • % Native American
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • LTCC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • College of the Desert 0%
  • LTCC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • College of the Desert 3%
  • LTCC 4%
  • % International
  • College of the Desert 2%
  • LTCC 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • College of the Desert 1%
  • LTCC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • College of the Desert 98%
  • LTCC 94%
  • % Out-of-State
  • College of the Desert 1%
  • LTCC 4%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • College of the Desert No
  • LTCC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • College of the Desert No
  • LTCC No
  • Meal Plan
  • College of the Desert No
  • LTCC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • College of the Desert Yes
  • LTCC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • College of the Desert Yes
  • LTCC Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA with Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

College of the Desert is larger than LTCC based on total student enrollment (12,861 students vs. 4,040 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • College of the Desert is located in Palm Desert, CA (Small City setting); Lake Tahoe Community College is in South Lake Tahoe, CA (Distant Town setting).
  • College of the Desert is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Lake Tahoe Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: College of the Desert 26:1; Lake Tahoe Community College 25:1.

College of the Desert vs. LTCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, College of the Desert or LTCC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Lake Tahoe Community College than College of the Desert ($11,799 vs. $18,169).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lake Tahoe Community College are 46.6% lower than at College of the Desert ($13,425 vs. $25,151).
  • College of the Desert is 153.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than LTCC (about $23 more per year; $38.00 vs. $15.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 153.3% higher at College of the Desert than at Lake Tahoe Community College (about $23 more per year; $38.00 vs. $15.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at College of the Desert than at Lake Tahoe Community College (88% vs. 64%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of the Desert students is 16.4% larger than aid received by Lake Tahoe Community College students ($6,822 vs. $5,863).

College of the Desert vs. LTCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, College of the Desert or LTCC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between LTCC and College of the Desert.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.

College of the Desert vs. LTCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for College of the Desert and LTCC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from College of the Desert earn a median of about $4,000 more per year than LTCC graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,100 vs. $31,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.