Palomar College

www2.palomar.edu

Add Comparison
    2024 Undergraduate Tuition
    $1,288
    2024 Average Net Price
    $8,372
    After Financial Aid
    2024 Enrolled Students
    19,550
    33% Full-Time
    2024 Graduation Rate
    37.5%
    638 Graduates

    About

    Palomar College is a higher education institution located in San Diego County, CA. In 2024, the most popular 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate concentrations at Palomar College were Liberal Arts & Sciences (619 degrees awarded), General Studies (426 degrees), and Fire Science & Fire-Fighting (78 degrees).

    In 2024, 4,595 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Palomar College. 45.5% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 54.5% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was hispanic or latino (2,062 degrees), 1.2 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,725 degrees).

    The median undergraduate tuition at Palomar College is $1,288, which is $−6,872 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($8,160).

    Associates Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-High TraditionalAssociates Colleges

    Costs

    In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at Palomar College is $1,288, which is $6,872 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($8,160).

    After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $8,372.

    In 2024, 45% of undergraduate students attending Palomar College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 1% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

    Tuition Costs

    $1,288
    2024 Undergraduate Tuition

    In 2024, the cost of tuition at Palomar College was $1,288. The cost of tuition at Palomar College is $−6,872 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Associates Colleges ($8,160).

    This chart compares the tuition costs of Palomar College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Average Net Price

    $8,372
    2024 Value
    5.29%
    1 Year Growth

    In 2024 Palomar College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $8,372. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of Palomar College grew by 5.29%.

    This chart compares the average net price of Palomar College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

    Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Other Student Expenses

    $23,076
    Room and Board
    $938
    Books and Supplies

    The average yearly cost of room and board at Palomar College was of $23,076 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 3.3% between 2023 and 2024.

    During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $938. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 18.6% during the same period.

    This chart compares the average student costs at Palomar College (in red) with that of similar universities.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Financial Aid by Income Level

    45%
    Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants
    1%
    Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

    45% of undergraduate students at Palomar College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a decline of 2.17% with respect to 2023, when 46% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

    This chart compares the average award discount at Palomar College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

    The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Enrollment

    Palomar College had a total enrollment of 19,550 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at Palomar College is 6,443 students and the part-time enrollment is 13,107. This means that 33% of students enrolled at Palomar College are enrolled full-time.

    The enrolled student population at Palomar College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 49.8% Hispanic or Latino, 31.6% White, 6.56% Asian, 6.34% Two or More Races, 2.93% Black or African American, 0.598% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.404% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

    Students enrolled at Palomar College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Male (25.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (24.5%) and White Male (17.9%).

    Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

    33%
    Full-Time Enrollment

    The total enrollment at Palomar College in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 19,550 students. The full-time enrollment at Palomar College is 6,443 and the part-time enrollment is 13,107. This means that 33% of students enrolled at Palomar College are enrolled full-time compared with 31.9% at similar Associates Colleges.

    This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Palomar College (in red) compares to similar universities.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Retention Rate over Time

    70%
    2024 Retention Rate

    Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Palomar College was 70%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Associates Colleges (64%), Palomar College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

    This chart shows the retention rate over time at Palomar College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

    Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)
    1. Hispanic or Latino
      9,728 enrolled students
    2. White
      6,181 enrolled students
    3. Asian
      1,282 enrolled students

    The enrolled student population at Palomar College is 49.8% Hispanic or Latino, 31.6% White, 6.56% Asian, 6.34% Two or More Races, 2.93% Black or African American, 0.598% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.404% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Associates Colleges is 41.3% White, 28.4% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.2% Black or African American.

    Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 259 students (1.32%) did not report their race.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Graduates

    In 2024, 415 fewer women than men received degrees from Palomar College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Palomar College is hispanic or latino (2,062 degrees awarded). There were 1.2 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,725 degrees).

    The most common 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate concentration at Palomar College is Liberal Arts & Sciences (619 degrees awarded), followed by General Studies (426 degrees) and Fire Science & Fire-Fighting (78 degrees).

    In 2024,  the most specialized majors across all degree types at Palomar College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Library Science (18 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (1,323 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (70 degrees).

    Common Jobs by Major

    Elementary & middle school teachers
    Most Common Job

    The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Palomar College are Elementary & middle school teachers (166,049 people), Other managers (95,671 people), Secondary school teachers (65,127 people), Postsecondary teachers (52,289 people), and Education administrators (51,823 people).

    The most specialized majors at Palomar College in 2024 are Library Science (18 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (1,323 degrees), Language & Linguistics (70 degrees), Human Sciences (120 degrees), and Interdisciplinary Studies (290 degrees) (as of 2024).

    View Data
    Save Image

    Highest Paying Jobs by Major

    Surgeons
    Highest Paying Job

    The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Palomar College are Surgeons, Chief executives & legislators, Correspondence clerks & order clerks, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, and Physicians

    The most specialized majors at Palomar College are Library Science (18 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (1,323 degrees), Language & Linguistics (70 degrees), Human Sciences (120 degrees), and Interdisciplinary Studies (290 degrees) (as of 2024).

    View Data
    Save Image

    Common Industries by Major

    Elementary & secondary schools
    Most Common Industry

    The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Palomar College are Elementary & secondary schools (368,276 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (152,534 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (139,630 people), Computer Systems Design (80,097 people), and Outpatient care centers (56,641 people).

    The most specialized majors at Palomar College are Library Science (18 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (1,323 degrees), Language & Linguistics (70 degrees), Human Sciences (120 degrees), and Interdisciplinary Studies (290 degrees) (as of 2024).

    View Data
    Save Image

    Majors Awarded

    IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Palomar College.
    Most Common (2024)
    1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
      619 degrees awarded
    2. General Studies
      426 degrees awarded
    3. Fire Science & Fire-Fighting
      78 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common 1 to 2 year postsecondary certificate concentration at Palomar College was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 619 degrees awarded.

    This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from 1 to 2 year postsecondary certificate programs at Palomar College according to their major.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

    2,505
    Degrees Awarded to Men
    in 2024
    2,090
    Degrees Awarded to Women
    in 2024

    In 2024, 2,505 degrees were awarded to men at Palomar College, which is 1.2 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,090).

    This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Palomar College by degrees awarded.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Most Common Male Majors

    In 2024, 609 degrees were awarded to men at Palomar College in General Business Administration & Management, which is 4.32 times more than the 141 female recipients with that same degree.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Most Common Female Majors

    In 2024, 476 degrees were awarded to men at Palomar College in Liberal Arts & Sciences, which is 1.52 times more than the 313 male recipients with that same degree.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Time to Complete

    17%
    100% Completion Time
    34%
    150% Completion Time

    In 2024, 17% of students graduating from Palomar College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 34% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 40% within 200%.

    The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Associates Colleges Carnegie Classification group.

    Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Race & Ethnicity by Share

    Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)
    1. Hispanic or Latino
      2,062 degrees awarded
    2. White
      1,725 degrees awarded
    3. Two or More Races
      267 degrees awarded

    The most common race/ethnicity at Palomar College is hispanic or latino (2,062 degrees awarded). There were 1.2 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (1,725 degrees).

    1.02% of degree recipients (47 students) did not report their race.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Race & Ethnicity by Sex

    Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)
    1. Hispanic or Latino Female
      1,341 degrees awarded
    2. Hispanic or Latino Female
      1,192 degrees awarded
    3. Hispanic or Latino Female
      1,157 degrees awarded

    The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Palomar College is hispanic or latino female (1,341 degrees awarded). There were 1.13 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino female (1,192 degrees).

    View Data
    Save Image

    Operations

    Palomar College has an endowment valued at nearly $22.4M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 15.6M (69.9%) compared to the 12.8% average return (818k on 6.41M) across all Associates Colleges.

    In 2024, Palomar College had a total salary expenditure of 262M. Palomar College employs 280 Instructors. Most academics at Palomar College are Female Instructor (153), and Male Instructor (127).

    The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Palomar College are: Office and Administrative Support, with 129 employees, Service, with 92 employees, and Management with 65 employees.

    Endowment

    $22.4M
    2024 Endowment
    11.1%
    growth from 2023

    Palomar College has an endowment valued at about $22.4M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of Palomar College grew 11.1% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $16M higher than than the median endowment of Associates Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

    This line chart shows how the endowment at Palomar College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

    The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Associates Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-High Traditional Carnegie Classification grouping.

    View Data
    Save Image
    View Data
    Save Image

    Government Grants and Contracts

    Grants & Contracts
    1. $4.1M - Federal
    2. $34.4M - State
    3. $2.37M - Local

    As of 2024, Palomar College received $4.1M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $34.4M from state grants and contracts, and $2.37M from local grants and contracts.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Salary Expenditure

    $116M
    2024 Salaries
    14.6%
    growth from 2023

    In 2024, Palomar College paid a median of $116M in salaries, which represents 44.1% of their overall expenditure ($262M) and a 14.6% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 5.61% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 13.6% growth between 2021 and 2022.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Instructional Salaries

    $38.9M
    Instructional Salaries
    280
    Number of Employees

    In 2024, Palomar College paid a total of $38.9M to 280 employees working as instructors, which represents 33.6% of all salaries paid.

    This is compared to a median of $720k (4.04%) for similar Associates Colleges.

    View Data
    Save Image

    Occupations by Share

    In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Palomar College were Office and Administrative Support with 129 employees, Service with 92 employees, and Management with 65 employees.

    View Data
    Save Image