Cerritos College vs. Palo Verde College

Comparable Facts

Compare Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA with Palo Verde College in Blythe, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Cerritos College is larger than Palo Verde College based on total student enrollment (21,859 students vs. 3,833 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Cerritos College is located in Norwalk, CA (Small City setting); Palo Verde College is in Blythe, CA (Distant Rural setting).
• Cerritos College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Palo Verde College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Cerritos College 26:1; Palo Verde College 22:1.

Cerritos College vs. Palo Verde College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cerritos College or Palo Verde College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cerritos College than Palo Verde College ($4,325 vs. $22,492).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cerritos College are 14.3% lower than at Palo Verde College ($22,088 vs. $25,767).
• Cerritos College is 5.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Palo Verde College (about $76 more per year; $1,364.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 7.3% higher at Palo Verde College than at Cerritos College (about $876 more per year; $12,880.00 vs. $12,004.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Palo Verde College than at Cerritos College (92% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Cerritos College students is 90.5% larger than aid received by Palo Verde College students ($5,925 vs. $3,111).

Cerritos College vs. Palo Verde College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cerritos College or Palo Verde College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Palo Verde College and Cerritos College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Cerritos College - Open admission; Palo Verde College - Open admission.

Cerritos College vs. Palo Verde College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Cerritos College and Palo Verde College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from Cerritos College earn a median of about $5,900 more per year than Palo Verde College graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,000 vs. $29,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.