Palomar College vs. CSM

Should I go to Palomar College or College of San Mateo? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Palomar College or CSM 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. College of San Mateo comparison
Palomar College College of San Mateo College 3 College 4
Palomar College College of San Mateo
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Overview

Palomar College CSM
Location San Marcos, CA San Mateo, CA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 17,655 7,512
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website palomar.edu collegeofsanmateo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Palomar College CSM
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,288
Tuition (Out of State) $10,584 $9,408
Room & Board $22,338 $20,858
Avg Net Price $8,476 $6,344
Avg Grant Aid $5,896 $7,086
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 64%

Admission

Palomar College CSM
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

Academics

Palomar College CSM
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (17%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)

Outcomes

Palomar College CSM
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,700 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 30% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,000 $7,000
Median Loan Payment $72 $72

Diversity

Palomar College CSM
% Men 53% 49%
% Women 47% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 28%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 40% 30%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 2%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 1% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Palomar College CSM
% In-State 94% 91%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Palomar College is larger than than CSM based on total student enrollment (17,655 students vs. 7,512 students)

Palomar College vs. CSM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Palomar College or CSM?

  • Palomar College and CSM cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.5% higher at Palomar College than College of San Mateo ($10,584.00 vs. $9,408.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College of San Mateo than Palomar College ($6,344 vs. $8,476)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College of San Mateo are 7.1% lower than costs at Palomar College ($20,858 vs. $22,338)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palomar College than College of San Mateo (80% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of San Mateo students is 20.2% larger than aid received Palomar College ($7,086 vs. $5,896)

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

Palomar College vs. CSM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Palomar College or CSM? 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 CSM and Palomar College.

  • Graduates from College of San Mateo earn on average $5,100 more per year than Palomar College graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $39,700)
  • College of San Mateo and Palomar College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($7,000 vs. $7,000)
  • College of San Mateo and Palomar College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($72 vs. $72)
  • More CSM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Palomar College students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 30%)

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