Palomar College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in San Marcos, California. It enrolls 17,712 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
71/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes50
Value85
Affordability45
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Palomar College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Palomar College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $5,763 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$5,763
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
18%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
1%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$1,354
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$10,650
Room & Board (off-campus)
$25,804
Books & Supplies
$1,062
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$14,360
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$4,268
$30,001 – $48,000
$4,786
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,710
$75,001 – $110,000
$9,766
Over $110,000
$12,642
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,54310%percentile
$2,25025%percentile
$6,03075%percentile
$11,34090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $4,000
—
No Pell $3,500
—
Dependent students $3,500
—
Independent students $4,500
—
Female students $3,500
—
Male students $3,500
—
What this means:
18% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.
Graduation Rate & Retention
11% of full-time students who enrolled at Palomar College graduate within six years, and 71% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
11%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
71%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Palomar College earn a median of $42,300 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$42,300
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$36,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$45,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,700, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
21.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 69% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Palomar College is home to 17,712 students, a sprawling student community. Some distinctive traits: 54% are first-generation college students, 64% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
17,712
Part-Time
64%
First-Generation
54%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 50.0%8,851
White 31.8%5,624
Other 7.1%1,261
Asian 6.4%1,126
Black 3.0%531
International 0.5%90
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Palomar College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbSan Marcos, California
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
33%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Palomar College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
99 distinct programs across
31 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Palomar College is 24:1, high (larger classes are common).
Student : Faculty
24:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,490
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$20M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$117,244
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
301 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Instructors
301
100%
$117,244
Pros & Cons of Palomar College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Palomar College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Larger class sizes than typical
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Palomar College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Palomar College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Palomar College.
Is Palomar College hard to get into?
Palomar College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Palomar College?
Palomar College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Palomar College cost?
The average net price after aid at Palomar College is $5,763 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Palomar College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $42,300 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $5,763 per year. That's roughly 7.3x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Palomar College known for?
Palomar College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Social Sciences. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Palomar College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Palomar College are $42,300, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Palomar College accredited?
Yes. Palomar College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Palomar College?
Palomar College enrolls 17,712 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Palomar College?
Palomar College graduates 11% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Palomar College a public or private college?
Palomar College is a Public institution.
Where is Palomar College located?
Palomar College is located in San Marcos, California.
What programs does Palomar College offer?
Palomar College offers 99 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Social Sciences.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Palomar College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Palomar College is 24:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
