The COD Advantage

College of the Desert's Points of Distinction:

  • ​COD​ recently won a prestigious Bellwether Award for innovative student success programming. ​  
  • The college was also recently a nominee for the Aspen Prize!  
  • Our inspiring campus was ranked as the one of the 50 most beautiful colleges​ in the U.S.

A Great Value & Strong University Transfe​r Rates:

  • The tuition at College of the Desert is almost half that of the tuition at a four year university. The total cost of enrollment for international students is less than $21,000!
  • COD has a proven record of successful university transfer! Our international students have transferred to universities throughout California including UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, San Diego State University,  CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, CSU Northridge and CSU San Bernardino.
  • Our International Student Counselor will help you transfer to the UC and CSU systems as well as private and out of-state universities.

Beautiful Surroundings:

  • Pursue your educational goals in one of the most popular resort areas in the United States!
  • Surrounded by majestic mountains, covered in lush palm trees, and bathed in brilliant sunshine, the campus is truly an inspiring place to study.  
  • Our location is only a few hours by car from iconic Southern California beaches and exciting mountain ski slopes!

  International Student Support Services:

  • The International Education Program office offers a variety of services designed to assist you throughout your studies with us.  Services include:
    • Housing assistance
    • University transfer assistance
    • Academic advising
    • Immigration advising
    • ​Cultural activities, outings and more!  

Scholar​sh​ips:

  • With the generous support of COD's Foundation, the IEP is able to offer a limited number of scholarships for international students.  
  • Awards are based on academic merit and engagement in the campus community.
  • Award amounts vary by semester.

English ​as a Second Language (ESL)

  • The Intensive English Academy (IEA) is an English language school located on the COD campus.  
  • Learn English in a supportive environment and reach your academic goals in one location!
  • We also offer ESL classes at the college level to assist those students with lower TOEFL scores. ​​​​​​​​​​​​