CA
College of the Desert
0.31 incidents / 1,000 students
Palm Desert, CA · Clery Act 2024 · Public
College of the Desert
Across 2022–2024, College of the Desert reported 10 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count fell over that span (largest filed category: Aggravated Assault). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: Chabot College.
- 0.31
- Incidents / 1k students
- #194
- Rank of 2,072
- #131
- CA rank
- 12,861
- Enrolled students
0.31 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
College of the Desert reports 0.31 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 86% below University of Central Missouri. Similar-enrollment scored peers: University of Central Missouri (0.86/1k); Fort Hays State University (0.47/1k); Chabot College (1.09/1k); Daytona State College (1.40/1k); University of Denver (7.26/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Chabot College (1.09/1k); Irvine Valley College (0.23/1k); Los Angeles Trade Technical College (1.36/1k); San Diego City College (1.81/1k); Merced College (0.32/1k); Santa Barbara City College (0.57/1k); Ventura College (0.25/1k); Glendale Community College (0.91/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Aggravated Assault.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 0.31
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #194
- safer than ranked campuses its size
- 91%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 3
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 113573 · College of the Desert 0.31/1k score rate · #194/2,072
RATE-QUIET · RANK-TOP · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-NONE
- RATE-QUIET 0.31/1k
- RANK-TOP #194/2,072
- ST-MID #131 in state
- BELOW-PEER Fort Hays State University · 0.15 back
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-DOWN ↓ 40%
- CAT-LEAD Aggravated Assault
- ENR-MID 12,861
- FIRE-NONE No res filing
Nearest enrollment peer: Fort Hays State University (+0.15/1k)
College of the Desert sheet RATE-QUIET · RANK-TOP · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-NONE · peer Fort Hays State University. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-QUIET · RANK-TOP · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-NONE. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Fort Hays State University (+0.15/1k). National rank #194 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
College of the Desert reports 0.31 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 86% below University of Central Missouri. Similar-enrollment scored peers: University of Central Missouri (0.86/1k); Fort Hays State University (0.47/1k); Chabot College (1.09/1k); Daytona State College (1.40/1k); University of Denver (7.26/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Chabot College (1.09/1k); Irvine Valley College (0.23/1k); Los Angeles Trade Technical College (1.36/1k); San Diego City College (1.81/1k); Merced College (0.32/1k); Santa Barbara City College (0.57/1k); Ventura College (0.25/1k); Glendale Community College (0.91/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Aggravated Assault.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around College of the
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest College on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- College of the Desert · this campus · lowest 0.31
College of the Desert — this campus · lowest
0.31 per 1,000 students
- Fort Hays State University · near 0.47
Fort Hays State University — near
0.47 per 1,000 students
- University of Central Missouri · near 0.86
University of Central Missouri — near
0.86 per 1,000 students
- Chabot College · near 1.09
Chabot College — near
1.09 per 1,000 students
- University of Denver · highest peer
University of Denver — highest peer
7.26 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around College of the Desert's 0.31/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
College of the Desert increased from 2 to 3 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 CA 2-year peers in this comparison, College of the Desert is larger than 72% and safer-reporting than 61% - the larger, safer-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- College of the Desert: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyamaca College | 8,905 | 0.22 | 0 | 75 |
| Coastline Community College | 9,008 | 0.00 | 3 | 94 |
| Ohlone College | 9,061 | 0.77 | 6 | 19 |
| Laney College | 9,328 | 0.43 | 8 | 50 |
| Evergreen Valley College | 9,336 | 0.54 | 11 | 42 |
| Cabrillo College | 9,457 | 0.53 | 14 | 44 |
| Los Angeles Harbor College | 9,463 | 0.74 | 17 | 25 |
| College of San Mateo | 9,901 | 0.10 | 19 | 86 |
| Clovis Community College | 10,358 | 0.58 | 22 | 36 |
| Citrus College | 10,429 | 0.38 | 25 | 56 |
| Los Angeles Mission College | 10,690 | 0.47 | 28 | 47 |
| College of the Desert (this campus) | 12,861 | 0.31 | 72 | 61 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at College of the Desert rose from 2 to 3 (+50%). The increase shows up in Aggravated Assault (1 to 3). Falling over the same period: Fondling (1 to 0).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at College of the Desert
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 4 Clery Act categories here: Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Motor Vehicle Theft and Fondling.
The remaining 7 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, among them Arson, Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter and Negligent Manslaughter. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyCollege of the Desert: Criminal Offenses by year
Declining 40% (5 → 3 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Burglary | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Fondling | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
45 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
College of the Desert vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
MO
University of Central Missouri
0.86 incidents / 1,000 students
KS
Fort Hays State University
0.47 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where College of the Desert sits on price and outcomes
At $15,728, College of the Desert's reported average net price is cheaper than 38% among 492 California colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $20,161.
- $15,728
- average net price
- $20,161
- California median
- $7,097
- reported income-bracket spread
Net price moves with income here, but not sharply: $14,872 for families reporting under $30,000 against $21,969 above $110,000, a difference of $7,097. Aid narrows the gap without closing it, so the $15,728 average sits reasonably close to what most brackets report.
Six-year median earnings of $31,085 run about 2.0 times the annual net price. The margin is real but narrow, so how many years of price a student actually pays matters a great deal here. Only 30% complete within six years. Most students here do not finish, which is the single most important number on this page for anyone weighing the cost.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $1,326
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $10,174
- Avg Net Price
- $15,728
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 38%
Outcomes
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $31,085
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $39,020
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 57%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 668 similar institutions by enrollment size.
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO · 12,857 enrolled
Safety Score 0.86
Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS · 12,878 enrolled
Safety Score 0.47
Chabot College
Hayward, CA · 12,842 enrolled
Safety Score 1.09
Daytona State College
Daytona Beach, FL · 12,820 enrolled
Safety Score 1.40
University of Denver
Denver, CO · 12,813 enrolled
Safety Score 7.26
Closest by National Rank
College of the Desert (national rank #194) sits near George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville (#195) and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (#193) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville
Hanceville, AL
National Rank #195
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Wake Forest, NC
National Rank #193
Northeast Alabama Community College
Rainsville, AL
National Rank #196
John A Logan College
Carterville, IL
National Rank #192
Barstow Community College
Barstow, CA
National Rank #191
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for College of the Desert, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · 12,926 enrolled
Safety score 0.08
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, IA · 12,763 enrolled
Safety score 0.39
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington, KY · 12,965 enrolled
Safety score 12.34
Delgado Community College
New Orleans, LA · 12,712 enrolled
Safety score 0.08
Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, PA · 12,585 enrolled
Safety score 0.08
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL · 12,530 enrolled
Safety score 0.56
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, MI · 12,468 enrolled
Safety score 0.72
Palo Alto College
San Antonio, TX · 12,395 enrolled
Safety score 0.40
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville
Hanceville, AL · 6,424 enrolled
Safety score 0.31
Northeast Alabama Community College
Rainsville, AL · 3,208 enrolled
Safety score 0.31
John A Logan College
Carterville, IL · 3,224 enrolled
Safety score 0.31
Pima Community College
Tucson, AZ · 16,283 enrolled
Safety score 0.31
Cape Cod Community College
West Barnstable, MA · 3,260 enrolled
Safety score 0.31
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo, MI · 6,334 enrolled
Safety score 0.32
Mid-State Technical College
Wisconsin Rapids, WI · 3,144 enrolled
Safety score 0.32
Southside Virginia Community College
Alberta, VA · 3,306 enrolled
Safety score 0.30
Frequently Asked Questions
Is College of the Desert safe?
College of the Desert has a safety score of 0.31 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #194 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: University of Central Missouri (0.86/1k). Same-state same-level set: Chabot College (1.09/1k); Irvine Valley College (0.23/1k); Los Angeles Trade Technical College (1.36/1k); San Diego City College (1.81/1k); Merced College (0.32/1k); Santa Barbara City College (0.57/1k); Ventura College (0.25/1k); Glendale Community College (0.91/1k).
What crimes are reported at College of the Desert?
For calendar year 2024, College of the Desert reported Aggravated Assault (3) in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does College of the Desert compare to similar schools?
College of the Desert reports 86% fewer 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than University of Central Missouri. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: University of Central Missouri (0.86/1k); Fort Hays State University (0.47/1k); Chabot College (1.09/1k); Daytona State College (1.40/1k); University of Denver (7.26/1k). Same-state same-level set: Chabot College (1.09/1k); Irvine Valley College (0.23/1k); Los Angeles Trade Technical College (1.36/1k); San Diego City College (1.81/1k); Merced College (0.32/1k); Santa Barbara City College (0.57/1k); Ventura College (0.25/1k); Glendale Community College (0.91/1k).
Does College of the Desert have fire safety data?
College of the Desert has no on-campus residential fire filing in this Clery release.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.