Palomar College vs. California State University-San Marcos

Should I go to Palomar College or California State University San Marcos? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Palomar College or California State University-San Marcos 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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Palomar College vs. California State University San Marcos comparison
Palomar College California State University San Marcos College 3 College 4
Palomar College California State University San Marcos
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Overview

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
Location San Marcos, CA San Marcos, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 17,655 15,109
Type Public 2 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #836
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website palomar.edu csusm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $10,584 $17,622
Room & Board $22,338 $13,972
Avg Net Price $8,476 $10,463
Avg Grant Aid $5,896 $8,922
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 67%

Admission

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 14,774
Admitted - 14,064
Acceptance Rate Open 95.2%
Enrolled % Open 18.1%
Avg High School GPA - 3.32
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/22
SAT Range 950/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024

Academics

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
Graduation Rate - 49%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,700 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 30% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,000 $17,995
Median Loan Payment $72 $186

Diversity

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
% Men 53% 39%
% Women 47% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 30%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 40% 42%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 5%

Students

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
% In-State 94% 98%
% Out-of-State 0% 1%

Campus

Palomar College California State University-San Marcos
Campus Housing No Yes
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 California State University-San Marcos based on total student enrollment (17,655 students vs. 15,109 students)

Palomar College vs. California State University-San Marcos Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Palomar College or California State University-San Marcos?

  • California State University San Marcos is 345.8% more expensive to attend than Palomar College for in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66.5% higher at California State University-San Marcos than Palomar College ($17,622.00 vs. $10,584.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Palomar College than California State University-San Marcos ($8,476 vs. $10,463)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 59.9% lower than costs at Palomar College ($13,972 vs. $22,338)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palomar College than California State University San Marcos (80% vs. 67%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University San Marcos students is 51.3% larger than aid received Palomar College ($8,922 vs. $5,896)

Which college is harder to get into, Palomar College or California State University-San Marcos? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between California State University-San Marcos or Palomar College .

Palomar College vs. California State University-San Marcos Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Palomar College or California State University-San Marcos? 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 California State University-San Marcos and Palomar College.

  • Graduates from California State University San Marcos earn on average $9,400 more per year than Palomar College graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $39,700)
  • Palomar College students graduate with a $10,995 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($7,000 vs. $17,995)
  • Palomar College graduates are paying $114 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Marcos graduates. ($72 vs. $186)
  • More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Palomar College students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 30%)

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