Palomar College vs. California Indian Nations College

Comparable Facts

Compare Palomar College in San Marcos, CA with California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Palomar College is larger than California Indian Nations College based on total student enrollment (19,550 students vs. 154 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Palomar College is located in San Marcos, CA (Small City setting); California Indian Nations College is in Palm Desert, California (Small City setting).
• Palomar College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. California Indian Nations College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Palomar College 25:1; California Indian Nations College 6:1.

Palomar College vs. California Indian Nations College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Palomar College or California Indian Nations 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 California Indian Nations College ($8,372 vs. $17,737).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Indian Nations College are 20.8% lower than at Palomar College ($20,446 vs. $25,804).
• California Indian Nations College is 471.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Palomar College (about $6,389 more per year; $7,743.00 vs. $1,354.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 37.5% higher at Palomar College than at California Indian Nations College (about $2,907 more per year; $10,650.00 vs. $7,743.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California Indian Nations College than at Palomar College (100% vs. 81%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California Indian Nations College students is 7.8% larger than aid received by Palomar College students ($5,360 vs. $4,972).

Palomar College vs. California Indian Nations College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Palomar College or California Indian Nations College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California Indian Nations College and Palomar College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Palomar College - Open admission; California Indian Nations College - Open admission.

Palomar College vs. California Indian Nations College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Palomar College and California Indian Nations College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Palomar College have median earnings of about $39,700 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for California Indian Nations College.

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.