College of the Desert
Rolling
Acceptance rate
$10,174
Tuition/yr
9,000
Enrollment
About College of the Desert
Community college in Palm Desert, CA. Strong transfer programs with emphasis on workforce development.
College of the Desert (COD) is a public two-year community college established in 1958 and opened in 1962, located on a 160-acre campus in Palm Desert, California, in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County. It is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), receiving federal Title V grants.
COD offers associate degrees and certificates across career-technical and transfer-preparatory tracks. Notably strong programs include Nursing and Health Sciences (ACEN-accredited), Culinary Arts, Digital Design and Production, Advanced Transportation Technologies, Turf Grass Management, and Administration of Justice. Students can also earn vocational certificates in HVAC, welding, and EMT. The college shares a library facility with the City of Palm Desert and the Riverside County Library System, an arrangement unique in California.
The main campus sits in Palm Desert, approximately 120 miles east of Los Angeles, with satellite centers in Indio, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, and Palm Springs. The college enrolls approximately 12,453 students, roughly one-third of whom attend full-time. The student body is predominantly Hispanic (77%), reflecting the demographics of the broader Coachella Valley community.
Campus & Location
CA
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- COD's annual estimated cost of attendance for international students is approximately $24,670 for 2025-26 (including tuition, housing, meals, and health insurance), making it a significantly more affordable entry point into US higher education than four-year universities.
- International students on an F-1 visa who complete an associate degree or sufficient transferable credits can articulate to California State University or University of California campuses, providing a structured and lower-cost pathway to a US bachelor's degree.
- The Nursing, Health Sciences, and vocational-technical programs (HVAC, Culinary, Digital Media) offer practical, employment-oriented credentials that align with occupational visa categories available after graduation, though students on F-1 OPT are limited to 12 months (STEM OPT extension does not apply to community college credentials).
- With a relatively small campus community and strong student-support services including international student advising, COD can be a manageable first step for Nepali students new to the US academic system, particularly those seeking lower initial tuition before transferring to a four-year institution.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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