Palomar College
Public certificate school in San Marcos, CA that costs an average of $1,839 a year after financial aid and graduates 41% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$1,839
Acceptance rate
Open
Graduation rate
41%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$48,110
PublicLarge suburb17,712 undergraduates
Cost of Palomar College
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $12,043 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $1,356 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $11,688 |
| Books and supplies | $1,090 |
| Average net price after aid | $1,839 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $1,247 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $2,128 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $6,681 |
| $110,001+ | $7,891 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with Palomar College's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | Open admission (everyone admitted) |
|---|
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 41% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 70% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $41,712 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $48,110 |
| Rank in California (earnings) | 43rd of 224 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $6,525 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $74 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 21% |
| Students with federal loans | 0.9% |
Majors and programs at Palomar College
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Certificate programs (67)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 2,126 | $16,871 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 88 | — | — |
| Air Transportation | — | — | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 507 | — | — |
| American Sign Language | 22 | — | — |
| Apparel and Textiles | 16 | — | — |
| Archeology | 13 | — | — |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 14 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 1 | — | — |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | 19 | — | — |
| Basic Skills and Developmental/Remedial Education | — | — | — |
| Biology | 30 | — | — |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | 5 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 853 | — | — |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | 5 | — | — |
| Carpenters | 42 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 1 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 13 | — | — |
| Computer Programming | 10 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 40 | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 21 | — | — |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | 10 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 16 | — | — |
| Construction Trades, Other | — | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 23 | — | — |
| Dance | 5 | — | — |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 32 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 61 | — | — |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 66 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | — | — | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 14 | — | — |
| Economics | — | — | — |
| Education | 1 | — | — |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 95 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | — | — | — |
| Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 72 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 17 | — | — |
| Fire Protection | 279 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 33 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 13 | — | — |
| Graphic Communications | 22 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 9 | — | — |
| High School/Secondary Certificate Programs | — | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 197 | — | — |
| Human Services | 12 | — | — |
| International Business | — | — | — |
| Journalism | — | — | — |
| Legal Support Services | — | — | — |
| Library and Archives Assisting | 32 | — | — |
| Mason/Masonry | — | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 29 | — | — |
| Music | 1 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 9 | — | — |
| Precision Metal Working | 103 | — | — |
| Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 7 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 18 | — | — |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 2 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 16 | — | — |
| Real Estate | 28 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 14 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 3 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | — | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 38 | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | — | — | — |
| Woodworking | 40 | — | — |
Associate's degree programs (85)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 407 | $40,881 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 130 | $32,449 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 596 | $25,399 | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 565 | $17,284 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 32 | — | — |
| Air Transportation | — | — | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 25 | — | — |
| American Sign Language | 35 | — | — |
| Anthropology | 14 | — | — |
| Apparel and Textiles | 12 | — | — |
| Archeology | 3 | — | — |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 12 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | — | — | — |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | 9 | — | — |
| Basic Skills and Developmental/Remedial Education | — | — | — |
| Biology | 106 | — | — |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | 3 | — | — |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | 4 | — | — |
| Business/Commerce | 57 | — | — |
| Carpenters | 1 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 12 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 54 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 32 | — | — |
| Computer Programming | 3 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 36 | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 15 | — | — |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | 10 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | — | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 73 | — | — |
| Dance | 3 | — | — |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 11 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 56 | — | — |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 19 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 6 | — | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 12 | — | — |
| Economics | 14 | — | — |
| Education | 29 | — | — |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 4 | — | — |
| Engineering | 7 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 57 | — | — |
| Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 24 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 8 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 16 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 20 | — | — |
| Fire Protection | 97 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 4 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 14 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 2 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | — | — |
| Graphic Communications | 16 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 7 | — | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| History | 38 | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 9 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 44 | — | — |
| Human Services | 7 | — | — |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 1 | — | — |
| International Business | — | — | — |
| Journalism | 9 | — | — |
| Library and Archives Assisting | 13 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 14 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 131 | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 15 | — | — |
| Music | 15 | — | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 3 | — | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | — | — | — |
| Philosophy | 3 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 31 | — | — |
| Precision Metal Working | 21 | — | — |
| Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 1 | — | — |
| Psychology | 200 | — | — |
| Public Administration | — | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 14 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 49 | — | — |
| Real Estate | 6 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 44 | — | — |
| Security Science and Technology | 12 | — | — |
| Social Sciences | 519 | — | — |
| Sociology | 109 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 60 | — | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 10 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 20 | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 7 | — | — |
| Woodworking | 12 | — | — |
Similar colleges in California
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | $5,852 | — | $53,794 |
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | $1,577 | — | $46,657 |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | $1,850 | — | $53,930 |
| Rio Hondo College | Whittier | $15,389 | — | $48,362 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | $6,765 | — | $52,482 |
| Fresno City College | Fresno | $3,839 | — | $39,674 |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | $1,192 | — | $44,903 |
| Santa Ana College | Santa Ana | $7,224 | — | $48,917 |
About Palomar College
| Type | Public certificate school |
|---|---|
| Location | San Marcos, CA |
| Setting | Large suburb |
| Undergraduates | 17,712 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 25 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges |
| Website | www2.palomar.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
How much does Palomar College cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $12,043 a year (tuition and fees: $1,356 in-state, $11,688 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $1,839 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $1,247.
How much do Palomar College graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $48,110 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 43rd of 224 similar colleges in California.
What is Palomar College's graduation rate?
41% of full-time students graduate within 150% of the normal program length, and 70% of first-year students return for a second year.