ECC vs. Palomar College

Deciding between El Camino Community College District and Palomar College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

El Camino Community College District
Palomar College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • ECC Torrance, CA
  • Palomar College San Marcos, CA
  • Setting
  • ECC Large Suburban
  • Palomar College Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • ECC 21,664
  • Palomar College 19,550
  • Type
  • ECC Public 2 Year
  • Palomar College Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • ECC
  • Palomar College
  • Religious Affiliation
  • ECC -
  • Palomar College -
  • Status
  • ECC Non-profit
  • Palomar College Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • ECC
  • Palomar College

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • ECC $1,144
  • Palomar College $1,354
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • ECC $7,630
  • Palomar College $10,650
  • Room & Board
  • ECC $19,431
  • Palomar College $25,804
  • Average Net Price
  • ECC $8,837
  • Palomar College $8,372
  • Average Grant Aid
  • ECC $6,896
  • Palomar College $4,972
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • ECC 70%
  • Palomar College 81%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • ECC -
  • Palomar College -
  • Admitted
  • ECC -
  • Palomar College -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • ECC Open
  • Palomar College Open
  • Enrolled
  • ECC Open
  • Palomar College Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • ECC
  • Palomar College
  • Typical ACT score
  • ECC
  • Palomar College
  • Average High School GPA
  • ECC -
  • Palomar College -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • ECC -
  • Palomar College -
  • Admissions Standards
  • ECC Unavailable
  • Palomar College Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • ECC
  • Palomar College
  • ACT Range
  • ECC
  • Palomar College
  • SAT Range
  • ECC
  • Palomar College
  • Submit Test Scores
  • ECC Open admission
  • Palomar College Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • ECC Aug 27, 2027
  • Palomar College

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • ECC 28:1
  • Palomar College 25:1
  • Popular Majors
  • ECC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Health Professions (10%)
    • Work and Family Studies (7%)
    • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Palomar College
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • General Studies (7%)
    • Business (6%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • ECC -
  • Palomar College -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • ECC $36,400
  • Palomar College $39,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • ECC 25%
  • Palomar College 30%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • ECC N/A
  • Palomar College $7,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • ECC N/A
  • Palomar College $72

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • ECC 47%
  • Palomar College 54%
  • % Women
  • ECC 53%
  • Palomar College 46%
  • Racial Diversity
  • ECC High
  • Palomar College High
  • HBCU
  • ECC No
  • Palomar College No
  • % White
  • ECC 13%
  • Palomar College 40%
  • % Asian
  • ECC 13%
  • Palomar College 6%
  • % Black
  • ECC 14%
  • Palomar College 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • ECC 51%
  • Palomar College 40%
  • % Native American
  • ECC 0%
  • Palomar College 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • ECC 1%
  • Palomar College 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • ECC 5%
  • Palomar College 5%
  • % International
  • ECC 3%
  • Palomar College 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • ECC 0%
  • Palomar College 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • ECC 94%
  • Palomar College 97%
  • % Out-of-State
  • ECC 0%
  • Palomar College 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • ECC No
  • Palomar College No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • ECC No
  • Palomar College No
  • Meal Plan
  • ECC No
  • Palomar College No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • ECC Yes
  • Palomar College No
  • Daycare Facility
  • ECC Yes
  • Palomar College Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare El Camino Community College District in Torrance, CA with Palomar College in San Marcos, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

El Camino Community College District is larger than Palomar College based on total student enrollment (21,664 students vs. 19,550 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • El Camino Community College District is located in Torrance, CA (Large Suburban setting); Palomar College is in San Marcos, CA (Small City setting).
  • El Camino Community College District is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Palomar College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: El Camino Community College District 28:1; Palomar College 25:1.

ECC vs. Palomar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECC or Palomar 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 Palomar College than ECC ($8,372 vs. $8,837).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at El Camino Community College District are 24.7% lower than at Palomar College ($19,431 vs. $25,804).
  • Palomar College is 18.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than ECC (about $210 more per year; $1,354.00 vs. $1,144.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 39.6% higher at Palomar College than at El Camino Community College District (about $3,020 more per year; $10,650.00 vs. $7,630.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Palomar College than at El Camino Community College District (81% vs. 70%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by El Camino Community College District students is 38.7% larger than aid received by Palomar College students ($6,896 vs. $4,972).

ECC vs. Palomar College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ECC or Palomar 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 Palomar College and ECC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ECC - Open admission; Palomar College - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: ECC Aug 27, 2027.

ECC vs. Palomar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ECC and Palomar 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 Palomar College earn a median of about $3,300 more per year than ECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,700 vs. $36,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More Palomar College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECC students, three years after graduation. (30% vs. 25%)

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.