Community CollegePublicHSI

Palo Alto College

San Antonio, Texas·Public, 4-year or above·Southwest·alamo.edu/pac

Palo Alto College has open admission, so it admits all applicants who meet basic requirements (effectively a 100% acceptance rate). 33% of students graduate within 150% of normal time (3 years for an associate degree), per 2024 IPEDS data. In-district tuition and fees are $3,412 and out-of-state tuition and fees are $9,952 (2024). Fall enrollment is 12,395 students, and 20,028 enrolled over the full 12-month year (2024). Source: IPEDS.

Acceptance
100%
Open admission
Graduation (150% time)
33%
—
Total enrollment
12,395
peer median 19,371
Avg net price
$4,463
-$6.1k vs Community College
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AboutOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeResearch fundingDocumentsGrants

About

Palo Alto College is a community college located in San Antonio, Texas, and is part of the Alamo Colleges District. It offers a range of academic programs and services to support student success and access to education.

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
33%

Pell equity

0.5pp gap
Pell recipients
33%170 of 513
Non-Pell (all)
33%65 of 200
Subsidized loan, no Pell
33%1 of 3
No Federal Aid
32%64 of 197

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 65 Title IV programs, 4 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 61 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
65
Passing
4
6.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

65programs
  • Passing4 · 6.2%
  • No Data61 · 93.8%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
2
Safe
1
No data
61

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

4
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+0.8%
$33,578 vs $33,298
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services
+12.1%
$37,343 vs $33,298
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Associate Degree · Education
+15.3%
$38,409 vs $33,298
Business Administration Management and Operations
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+35.0%
$44,952 vs $33,298

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+0.8%
+$280

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

3
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
40%
$13,310 debt · $33,578 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Associate Degree · Education
26%
$9,996 debt · $38,409 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
20%
$8,750 debt · $44,952 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1987Next review Dec 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 12

  1. Aug 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
  2. Aug 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jul 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Jun 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Dec 2023Grant Substantive Change: Degree
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$3,680
$30–48k$4,373
$48–75k$6,248
$75–110k$7,376
$110k+$5,201

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$4,463
-$6,122vs Community College median $10,586
Federal loans
2.3%
In-district tuition and fees
$3,412
Out-of-state tuition and fees
$9,952

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 4,639 students received $24.0M in Pell grants, alongside $2.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,639
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$24.0M
$23,967,783 total
Direct Loans
$2.9M
778 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
’20
3k
’21
3k
’22
4k
’23
5k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.3M
398 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.5M
372 loan awards
Parent PLUS$87K
8 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 303 borrowers who entered repayment, 12 (3.9%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.9%
+1.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
303
Defaulted
12
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
10.7%
2017
11.3%
2018
8.1%
2019
3.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Palo Alto College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs24
UndergraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,505 total completions
01Liberal Arts
1,21981.0%
02Education
593.9%
03Business
513.4%
04Health Professions
473.1%
05Personal/Culinary
463.1%
06Agriculture
312.1%
07Computer Sciences
302.0%
08Engineering Tech
201.3%
09Precision Production
20.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
12,395
12-mo unduplicated
20,028
Undergraduate
20,028
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
39%7,762
Women
61%12,266

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
77.0%
White
12.0%
Black
5.9%
Two or more
2.7%
Asian
1.5%
Unknown
0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
Non-resident
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
14
7 M · 7 W
Women athletes
50.0%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$12K
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$25
$25
Head-coach salaries
$2K
$2K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 2

Track and Field, X-Country
5 M · 4 W
$7K
Swimming and Diving
2 M · 3 W
$6K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.18
2 offenses · 10,908 students

3-year trend

0.192 yrs ago0.091 yr ago0.18Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
5
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
9
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

2total
  • On campus2

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
1
Stalking
3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
31.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
140

Palo Alto College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Palo Alto College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
6-yr gradRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectPalo Alto College
—Open admission12,395$4,463Community College
Austin Community College District
—Open admission39,727$6,390Baccalaureate
Broward College
—Open admission30,728$14,506Baccalaureate
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
—Open admission15,085$12,726Community College
Collin County Community College District
—Open admission39,548$8,969Baccalaureate
Cuyahoga Community College District
—Open admission17,840$4,266Community College
Dallas College
—Open admission69,749$3,214Community College
El Paso Community College
—Open admission25,567$3,206Community College
Estrella Mountain Community College
—Open admission10,109$12,254Community College
GateWay Community College
—Open admission5,553$13,339Community College
GateWay Community College-Central City
—Open admission595$14,438—
Glendale Community College
—Open admission13,914$11,650Community College
Houston Community College
—Open admission53,253$5,737Community College
Lone Star College System
—Open admission73,077$11,252Community College
Mesa Community College
—Open admission17,077$12,132Community College
Miami Dade College
—Open admission58,941$5,463Baccalaureate
Northern Virginia Community College
—Open admission56,457$9,919Community College
Northwest Vista College
—Open admission20,060$4,525Community College
Paradise Valley Community College
—Open admission6,148$12,180Community College
Phoenix College
—Open admission10,660$12,055Community College
Rio Salado College
—Open admission18,841$8,341Community College
San Antonio College
—Open admission19,901$4,585Community College
San Jacinto Community College
—Open admission31,812$12,143Community College
Scottsdale Community College
—Open admission7,065$13,336Community College
South Mountain Community College
—Open admission4,516$12,780Community College
South Texas College
20%Open admission27,431$1,751Baccalaureate
St Philip's College
—Open admission17,299$4,273Community College
Tarrant County College District
—Open admission43,928$4,337Community College
Tidewater Community College
—Open admission16,884$11,762Community College
Valencia College
—Open admission47,425$12,037Baccalaureate
Peer group median20%—19,371$10,586

Institutions like Palo Alto College

Explore the federal data for institutions in Palo Alto College's comparison group.

IPEDS
  • BaccalaureateTexas

    Austin Community College District

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    39,727
    Net price
    $6,390
  • BaccalaureateFlorida

    Broward College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    30,728
    Net price
    $14,506
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Chandler-Gilbert Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    15,085
    Net price
    $12,726
  • BaccalaureateTexas

    Collin County Community College District

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    39,548
    Net price
    $8,969
  • Community CollegeOhio

    Cuyahoga Community College District

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    17,840
    Net price
    $4,266
  • Community CollegeTexas

    Dallas College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    69,749
    Net price
    $3,214
  • Community CollegeTexas

    El Paso Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    25,567
    Net price
    $3,206
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Estrella Mountain Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    10,109
    Net price
    $12,254
  • Community CollegeArizona

    GateWay Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    5,553
    Net price
    $13,339
  • Arizona

    GateWay Community College-Central City

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    595
    Net price
    $14,438
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Glendale Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    13,914
    Net price
    $11,650
  • Community CollegeTexas

    Houston Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    53,253
    Net price
    $5,737
  • Community CollegeTexas

    Lone Star College System

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    73,077
    Net price
    $11,252
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Mesa Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    17,077
    Net price
    $12,132
  • BaccalaureateFlorida

    Miami Dade College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    58,941
    Net price
    $5,463
  • Community CollegeVirginia

    Northern Virginia Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    56,457
    Net price
    $9,919
  • Community CollegeTexas

    Northwest Vista College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    20,060
    Net price
    $4,525
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Paradise Valley Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    6,148
    Net price
    $12,180
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Phoenix College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    10,660
    Net price
    $12,055
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Rio Salado College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    18,841
    Net price
    $8,341
  • Community CollegeTexas

    San Antonio College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    19,901
    Net price
    $4,585
  • Community CollegeTexas

    San Jacinto Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    31,812
    Net price
    $12,143
  • Community CollegeArizona

    Scottsdale Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    7,065
    Net price
    $13,336
  • Community CollegeArizona

    South Mountain Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    4,516
    Net price
    $12,780
  • BaccalaureateTexas

    South Texas College

    Grad rate
    20%
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    27,431
    Net price
    $1,751
  • Community CollegeTexas

    St Philip's College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    17,299
    Net price
    $4,273
  • Community CollegeTexas

    Tarrant County College District

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    43,928
    Net price
    $4,337
  • Community CollegeVirginia

    Tidewater Community College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    16,884
    Net price
    $11,762
  • BaccalaureateFlorida

    Valencia College

    Grad rate
    —
    Admit rate
    Open admission
    Enrollment
    47,425
    Net price
    $12,037

Palo Alto College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness
Address
1400 W. Villaret Blvd, San Antonio, Texas, 78224

The Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness supports Palo Alto College by collecting and reporting accurate data to enhance the decision-making process for college leadership.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Dr. Eliza Hernandez
    Director of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness

Research funding

External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.

NSF
USA Spending
$27,503,753
All sources
$27,503,753

Reports & documents (6)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (5)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Frequently asked questions about Palo Alto College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Palo Alto College.

What is the acceptance rate at Palo Alto College?

Palo Alto College has an open admission policy, so it admits all applicants who meet basic requirements (effectively a 100% acceptance rate). Some programs, such as nursing, may have separate selective admission. IPEDS does not collect an admit rate for open-admission colleges.

What is the graduation rate at Palo Alto College?

At Palo Alto College, 33% of students graduate within 150% of normal time (3 years for an associate degree), per 2024 IPEDS data.

How many students attend Palo Alto College?

Palo Alto College reports a total enrollment of 12,395 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Palo Alto College?

The average net price at Palo Alto College is $4,463 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Palo Alto College located?

Palo Alto College is located in San Antonio, Texas 78224-2499.

Who runs Institutional Research at Palo Alto College?

Palo Alto College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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