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Rancho mirage overlookPhoto: Ranchomirageca · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Rancho Mirage

College of the Desert is 3.1 miles from Rancho Mirage

San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage (260 students on campus) is inside the city, and College of the Desert (7,129) is 3.1 miles from the center, just over the line in Palm Desert. About 4% of Rancho Mirage’s residents are enrolled in college, below California (8%).

College of the Desert

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Rancho Mirage. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
7,389 students on campus
Nearest college
3.1 mi
College of the Desert
Residents in college
4%
Below CA (8%)
Nearest community college
3.1 mi
College of the Desert · $1,326 tuition
Nearest public university
43 mi
Crafton Hills College · $1,188 in-state
Median household income
$107K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Rancho Mirage

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A community college 3.1 miles awayCollege of the Desert has 7,129 students on campus in Palm Desert, 31% of whom graduate within three years.In-state price at Crafton Hills CollegeLiving in California, Crafton Hills College charges $1,188 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $14,556. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 4% of residentsBelow California (8%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Rancho Mirage

One private college within 3.4 miles, and College of the Desert 3.1 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, Crafton Hills College, is 43 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miCollege of the DesertSan Joaquin Valley College-Rancho MirageRancho Mirage
University or collegeCommunity college
College of the DesertCommunity college · Public · 7,129 on campus · 3.1 mi · Palm Desert$16knet price31%graduate$39kearningsTuition and fees: $1,326 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho MirageUniversity or college · For-profit · 260 on campus · In Rancho Mirage$28knet price70%graduate$38kearningsEarnings are reported for all 14 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Rancho Mirage’s median household income ($107,364) falls.

Crafton Hills College43 mi · Yucaipa · sticker $20,282 · tuition $1,188$16,637a year
College of the Desert3.1 mi · Palm Desert · sticker $24,607 · tuition $1,326$20,621a year
San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho MirageIn Rancho Mirage · sticker $32,789$28,167a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →College of the DesertSan Joaquin Valley College-Rancho MirageCrafton Hills College
College of the Desert31% graduate$39k earnings
Crafton Hills College31% graduate$43k earnings
San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage70% graduate$38k earnings*$11k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage (14).

Majors

What students study in Rancho Mirage

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 49%Construction trades 40%Mechanics & repair 11%Business 1%Everything else -0%

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Rancho Mirage

Is Rancho Mirage a college town?

No. About 4 of every 100 Rancho Mirage residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below California (8). The largest campus in the city, San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage, has 260 students on campus.

What colleges are in Rancho Mirage?

San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage is inside the city. College of the Desert is 3.1 miles from the center, in Palm Desert.

What is the closest community college to Rancho Mirage, and what does it cost?

College of the Desert in Palm Desert, 3.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $1,326 a year for California residents; the federal net price, $15,728, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Crafton Hills College cost if we live in California?

Tuition and fees are $1,188 a year in-state and $14,556 from out of state.

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Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Rancho Mirage. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →