July 16, 2026
The California Statewide Communities Development Corporation (CSCDC) has provided $8,500,000 of New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation to College of the Desert for development of a new community college campus in Palm Springs, California.
College of the Desert (COD) is a nonprofit, two-year public community college that provides affordable education, vocational training, and supportive services for primarily low-income students in California’s Coachella Valley. The college was founded in 1958 and opened its doors at its Palm Desert location in 1962. Over time, COD has expanded its reach to bring affordable educational opportunities to more communities, serving over 20,000 students across its campuses in Palm Desert, Indio, Mecca/Thermal, Palm Springs, and Desert Hot Springs. As a two-year college, COD offers transfer students an affordable option for starting college and transferring to a four-year institution. COD provides a variety of educational opportunities ranging from general education to innovative occupational programming, workforce development, and career transitioning.
The NMTC financing will support development of a new COD campus on a 27-acre property that was once the site of the Palm Springs Mall. The property is adjacent to Palm Springs High School, allowing for collaboration through COD’s Pledge Program, which provides all recent Coachella Valley high school graduates with two years of free tuition and fees at COD.
COD’s programming for the Palm Springs Campus is being developed alongside industry partners to prepare students for roles in high-growth sectors across the region. The 175,000 square feet of campus facilities will include classrooms, science labs, a culinary institute, hospitality training rooms, healthcare simulation labs, architecture/recording/film studios, sound editing labs, and an AI lab. The Palm Springs Campus is expected to serve 5,000 students annually.
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