Cerro Coso Community College vs. Palomar College

Should I go to Cerro Coso Community College or Palomar College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cerro Coso Community College or Palomar College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Cerro Coso Community College vs. Palomar College comparison
Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College College 3 College 4
Palomar College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
Location Ridgecrest, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 4,919 17,655
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cerrocoso.edu palomar.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
Tuition (In State) $1,380 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $9,510 $10,584
Room & Board $17,253 $22,338
Avg Net Price $11,826 $8,476
Avg Grant Aid $6,596 $5,896
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 80%

Admission

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 20, 2025

Academics

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (50%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)
  • Health Professions (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,600 $39,700
Making Student Loan Payments - 30%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $7,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $72

Diversity

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
% Men 43% 53%
% Women 57% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 40%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 39% 40%
% Native American 2% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
% In-State 99% 94%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

Cerro Coso Community College Palomar College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Palomar College is larger than than Cerro Coso Community College based on total student enrollment (17,655 students vs. 4,919 students)

Cerro Coso Community College vs. Palomar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cerro Coso Community College or Palomar College?

  • Cerro Coso Community College is 7.1% more expensive to attend than Palomar College for in-state tuition ($1,380.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.3% higher at Palomar College than Cerro Coso Community College ($10,584.00 vs. $9,510.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Palomar College than Cerro Coso Community College ($8,476 vs. $11,826)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cerro Coso Community College are 29.5% lower than costs at Palomar College ($17,253 vs. $22,338)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palomar College than Cerro Coso Community College (80% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cerro Coso Community College students is 11.9% larger than aid received Palomar College ($6,596 vs. $5,896)

Which college is harder to get into, Cerro Coso Community College or Palomar College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Palomar College or Cerro Coso Community College .

Cerro Coso Community College vs. Palomar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cerro Coso Community College or Palomar College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Palomar College and Cerro Coso Community College.

  • Graduates from Palomar College earn on average $7,100 more per year than Cerro Coso Community College graduates after ten years. ($39,700 vs. $32,600)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/