Palm Desert, California has 48 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $1,196 to $60,878 per year for indexed programs. Palm Desert has a population of about 51,551. Median household income is $79,508 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $133,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Software Development Schools to Palm Desert
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software development programs near Palm Desert, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palm Desert city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Palm Desert.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,977
Avg net price
$4,564/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 38
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,845
Avg net price
$7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 89%
- Programs offered: 57
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,552
Avg net price
$3,133/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,533
Avg net price
$4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,537
Avg net price
$9,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,678
Avg net price
$12,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,193
Avg net price
$2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,526
Avg net price
$3,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California software development page.
Software Development Wages Near Palm Desert
Palm Desert is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Software Developer | $133,270 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $125,254 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester | $105,720 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $99,361 |
| Computer Programmer | $101,810 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $95,686 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $105,030 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $98,712 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Palm Desert at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 51,551 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $79,508 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 39.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 106.4 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Palm Desert-Area Cities With Software Development Programs
- Indio, CA – 7.8 mi away (402,166 pop)
- La Quinta, CA – 7.8 mi away (40,956 pop)
- Cathedral City, CA – 8.8 mi away (54,056 pop)
- Palm Springs, CA – 10.6 mi away (47,689 pop)
- Coachella, CA – 13.3 mi away (44,953 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited software development schools are near Palm Desert, CA?
Our directory has 48 accredited schools offering software development programs near Palm Desert. The closest is Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree, CA (29.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-San Bernardino (62.7 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying software development roles near Palm Desert?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Palm Desert are: Software Developer ($133,270), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($105,720), Computer Systems Analyst ($105,030). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Indio instead of Palm Desert?
Indio, CA is 7.8 miles from Palm Desert and has its own set of local software development programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Palm Desert an affordable place to study software development?
Palm Desert’s median household income of $79,508 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Desert while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Software Development Programs
Other Programs Available in Palm Desert
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Palm Desert:
- Business Development programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Construction Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Economics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Financial Technology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Health Information Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- International Business programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Operations Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Public Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Real Estate programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Recreation Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Retail Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Risk Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Statistics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Taxation programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Corrections programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Criminology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Cybercrime programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Emergency Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Fire Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Forensic Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Legal Services programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Legal Studies programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Paralegal programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Security Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Innovation programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in Palm Desert, CA
- User Experience programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Web Development programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Public Health programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Human Resources programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Project Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Special Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Marketing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Finance programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Sports Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Biology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Communications programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Human Services programs in Palm Desert, CA
- MBA programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Nursing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Business Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Computer Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Psychology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Engineering programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Technology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Healthcare programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Accounting programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Social Work programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Counseling programs in Palm Desert, CA
Data verified: August 11, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
← Back to Best Software Development Schools in California (2026)
