Palomar College
About
Palomar College is a public community college in San Diego County, California. The main campus is in San Marcos and three centers and four education sites are located elsewhere throughout north San Diego County.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than non-Pell students here — unusual and worth investigating.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 151 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 151 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing0 · 0.0%
- No Data151 · 100.0%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
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.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 9
- Apr 2024Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
- Jan 2024Renewal of AccreditationAccrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Jul 2022Grant Substantive Change: OtherAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
- Jun 2022Renewal of AccreditationAccrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Apr 2021Grant Substantive Change: ProgramAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Assisting (DA)
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,883 students received $21.0M in Pell grants, alongside $1.7M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 169 borrowers who entered repayment, 9 (5.3%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at Palomar College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 11
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus4
- Non-campus1
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Palomar College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Palomar College selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectPalomar College | 38% | — | 19,550 | $5,247 | Community College |
| — | — | 9,457 | $13,328 | Community College | |
| — | — | 21,859 | $693 | Community College | |
| — | — | 22,460 | $5,743 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,905 | $6,187 | Community College | |
| — | — | 21,664 | $5,170 | Community College | |
| — | — | 12,075 | $7,461 | Community College | |
| — | — | 14,440 | $2,755 | Community College | |
| — | — | 24,985 | $5,001 | Community College | |
| 96% | — | 11,478 | $7,178 | Baccalaureate | |
| — | — | 29,971 | $3,107 | Community College | |
| — | — | 24,597 | $3,123 | Community College | |
| — | — | 17,441 | $11,903 | Baccalaureate | |
| — | — | 21,730 | $4,026 | Community College | |
| — | — | 13,242 | -$818 | Community College | |
| 92% | — | 19,212 | -$904 | Baccalaureate | |
| — | — | 14,257 | -$2,735 | Community College | |
| — | — | 20,969 | $8,508 | Community College | |
| — | — | 12,334 | $10,029 | Community College | |
| 81% | — | 23,453 | $3,600 | Baccalaureate | |
| — | — | 17,854 | $5,541 | Community College | |
| — | — | 20,986 | $10,893 | Community College | |
| Peer group median | 87% | — | 19,381 | $5,209 |
Institutions like Palomar College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Palomar College's comparison group.
- Community CollegeCalifornia
Cabrillo College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,457Net price$13,328View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Cerritos College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment21,859Net price$693View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Chaffey College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment22,460Net price$5,743View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Cuyamaca College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,905Net price$6,187View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
El Camino Community College District
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment21,664Net price$5,170View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Glendale Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment12,075Net price$7,461View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Grossmont College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment14,440Net price$2,755View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Long Beach City College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment24,985Net price$5,001View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
MiraCosta College
Grad rate96%Admit rate—Enrollment11,478Net price$7,178View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Mt San Antonio College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment29,971Net price$3,107View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Pasadena City College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment24,597Net price$3,123View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
Rio Hondo College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment17,441Net price$11,903View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Riverside City College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment21,730Net price$4,026View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
San Diego City College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment13,242Net price-$818View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
San Diego Mesa College
Grad rate92%Admit rate—Enrollment19,212Net price-$904View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
San Diego Miramar College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment14,257Net price-$2,735View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
San Joaquin Delta College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment20,969Net price$8,508View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Santa Barbara City College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment12,334Net price$10,029View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
Santa Monica College
Grad rate81%Admit rate—Enrollment23,453Net price$3,600View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Santa Rosa Junior College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment17,854Net price$5,541View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Southwestern College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment20,986Net price$10,893View data
Palomar College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Grants (IRP&G) is dedicated to providing our campus community with information and decision-making support to advance the College’s mission. IRP&G pursues institutional effectiveness through research, integrated planning, accreditation, internal and external reporting, and grants.
Visit IR office page- Michelle BartonSenior Director, Planning, Research, Effectiveness, and Grants
- Michael Large, Ph.D.Principal Research and Planning Analyst
- Grace RobertsonSenior Institutional Research Analyst
- Rachel Miller Ph.D.Research Analyst
- Jennifer BrichResearch Analyst
- Beau NelsonResearch Analyst
- Pauline MorozGrants Manager
- Marti SnyderAccreditation Coordinator
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardpalomar.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookOur Students - Publicly Available Data2023The page provides publicly available data and dashboards on Palomar College students, covering demographics, enrollment, student success, and awards over the last six academic years. It also includes specific sections on student diversity, progress, achievement, dual enrollment, and archived Fact Books for institutional analysis and planning.palomar.edu
- Strategic planVision Plan 20352023Palomar College has approved the Vision Plan 2035 to guide strategic development. The plan entails several educational and operational frameworks to enhance student equity and institutional effectiveness. The plan is part of an integrated planning model designed to support continuous improvement and address future challenges.palomar.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of Palomar College (9)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Lizet Benrey
- CodeMiko
- Lorena Lucille Majel Dixon
- John Fairchild
- Ed Harris (politician)Politics
- Bobby LeeEntertainment
- Michael Moffett (artist)Art
- Justin PonsorArts
- Renee Richetts
Frequently asked questions about Palomar College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Palomar College.
What is the graduation rate at Palomar College?
How many students attend Palomar College?
What is the average net price at Palomar College?
Where is Palomar College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Palomar College?
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