Private (nonprofit)

Palo Alto University

Palo Alto, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·paloaltou.edu
Acceptance
No freshman entry
—
6-yr Graduation
No freshman cohort
—
Total enrollment
1,065
peer median 1,065
Avg net price
No freshman cohort
—
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AboutProgram outcomesAccreditationFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsGrantsAlumni

About

Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private university in Palo Alto, California, that focuses on behavioral health disciplines like counseling, psychology, and social work. It was founded in 1975 as the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology and became Palo Alto University in 2009.

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 9 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 7 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
9
Passing
2
22.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

9programs
  • Passing2 · 22.2%
  • No Data7 · 77.8%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
2
No data
7

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.

2
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+75.2%
$85,224 vs $48,653
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Doctoral Degree · Psychology
+150.7%
$121,995 vs $48,653

Debt vs earnings

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

2
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Doctoral Degree · Psychology
263%
$320,718 debt · $121,995 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
102%
$86,914 debt · $85,224 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1986Next review Jun 2026
PreaccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1980Next review Dec 2017

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 5

  1. Oct 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  2. May 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  3. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSYD) - PsyD Doctoral programs
  4. Jun 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  5. Jun 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

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, 12 students received $60K in Pell grants, alongside $37.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
12
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$60K
$60,176 total
Direct Loans
$37.1M
1,081 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$83K
18 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$122K
19 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$15.1M
621 loan awards
Grad PLUS$21.8M
423 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 223 borrowers who entered repayment, 2 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
223
Defaulted
2
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.5%
2017
2.8%
2018
1.3%
2019
0.8%
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

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs5
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

348 total completions
01Psychology
21361.2%
02Health Professions
13538.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
1,065
12-mo unduplicated
1,361
Undergraduate
24
Graduate
1,337

Gender split

Men
19%261
Women
81%1,100

Race / ethnicity composition

White
28.9%
Hispanic
27.6%
Unknown
26.3%
Asian
10.5%
Two or more
4.0%
Black
1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.3%

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
0.00
0 offenses · 1,223 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
0
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 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
    15.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    48

    Palo Alto vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Palo Alto selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    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 University
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry1,065No freshman cohort—
    Adler University
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry1,631No freshman cohort—
    California Institute of Integral Studies
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry1,874No freshman cohortDoctoral/Professional
    Saybrook University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only1,057Grad-onlyDoctoral/Professional
    The Chicago School at Chicago
    		Not reported34.5%1,100No freshman cohort—
    The Chicago School at Los Angeles
    		0%46.3%3,344$39,401—
    The Chicago School at Washington DC
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only564Grad-only—
    The Wright Institute
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only518Grad-only—
    William James College
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry967No freshman cohort—
    Peer group median0%40.4%1,065$39,401

    Institutions like Palo Alto

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

    IPEDS

    Palo Alto Institutional Research office

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

    Office
    Office of Institutional Research and Digital Transformation
    Email
    institutional-research [at] paloaltou.edu
    Phone
    800-818-6136
    Address
    Allen Calvin Campus, 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304

    We maintain the data infrastructure that supports institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, and evidence-based decision making at PAU. The Office of Institutional Research and Digital Transformation provides accurate, accessible data to internal and external stakeholders, supports compliance with accreditation and federal reporting requirements, and coordinates the university's technology strategy.

    Visit IR office page
    Team
    3 members
    • Jeff Harr
      Senior Director of Institutional Research and Digital Transformation
    • Rowena G. Gomez
      Assistant Provost of Research, Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness
    • Christopher Olbrych
      Institutional Research Administrator

    Reports & documents (1)

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

    Grants & funding (4)

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

    USA Spending

    Notable alumni of Palo Alto (3)

    A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

    • Joseph Bankman
    • Lisa M. Brown
    • Sara Nasserzadeh

    Frequently asked questions about Palo Alto University

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

    What is the acceptance rate at Palo Alto University?

    Palo Alto University does not have a reported acceptance rate. This institution does not admit first-time (freshman) undergraduates, so the federal admit rate does not apply.

    What is the graduation rate at Palo Alto University?

    Palo Alto University does not have a reported federal graduation rate. Federal graduation rates follow first-time, full-time undergraduates. This institution does not enroll that cohort.

    How many students attend Palo Alto University?

    Palo Alto University reports a total enrollment of 1,065 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Palo Alto University?

    Palo Alto University does not have a reported average net price. Net price is a federal metric for first-time, full-time undergraduates receiving federal aid, and this institution does not enroll that cohort.

    Where is Palo Alto University located?

    Palo Alto University is located in Palo Alto, California 94304-1337.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Palo Alto University?

    Palo Alto University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Digital Transformation.

    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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