Monterey Peninsula College vs. Palomar College

Should I go to Monterey Peninsula College or Palomar College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Monterey Peninsula 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.

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Monterey Peninsula College vs. Palomar College comparison
Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College College 3 College 4
Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College
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Overview

Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College
Location Monterey, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 6,514 17,655
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mpc.edu palomar.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $8,280 $10,584
Room & Board $30,771 $22,338
Avg Net Price $11,977 $8,476
Avg Grant Aid $4,594 $5,896
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 80%

Admission

Monterey Peninsula 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 29, 2025

Academics

Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (32%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,900 $39,700
Making Student Loan Payments 31% 30%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $7,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $72

Diversity

Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College
% Men 44% 53%
% Women 56% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 40%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 37% 40%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

Monterey Peninsula College Palomar College
% In-State 94% 94%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Palomar College is larger than than Monterey Peninsula College based on total student enrollment (17,655 students vs. 6,514 students)

Monterey Peninsula College vs. Palomar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Monterey Peninsula College or Palomar College?

  • Palomar College is 16.7% more expensive to attend than Monterey Peninsula College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.8% higher at Palomar College than Monterey Peninsula College ($10,584.00 vs. $8,280.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Palomar College than Monterey Peninsula College ($8,476 vs. $11,977)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Palomar College are 37.8% lower than costs at Monterey Peninsula College ($22,338 vs. $30,771)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palomar College than Monterey Peninsula College (80% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Palomar College students is 28.3% larger than aid received Monterey Peninsula College ($5,896 vs. $4,594)

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

Monterey Peninsula College vs. Palomar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Monterey Peninsula 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 Monterey Peninsula College.

  • Graduates from Palomar College earn on average $800 more per year than Monterey Peninsula College graduates after ten years. ($39,700 vs. $38,900)
  • More Monterey Peninsula College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Palomar College students, three years after graduation. (31% vs. 30%)

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