Palomar College vs. CMC

Deciding between Palomar College and Copper Mountain Community 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.

Palomar College

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • Palomar College San Marcos, CA
  • CMC Joshua Tree, CA
  • Setting
  • Palomar College Small City
  • CMC Distant Rural
  • Total enrollment
  • Palomar College 19,550
  • CMC 2,019
  • Type
  • Palomar College Public 2 Year
  • CMC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Palomar College
  • CMC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Palomar College -
  • CMC -
  • Status
  • Palomar College Non-profit
  • CMC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Palomar College
  • CMC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Palomar College $1,354
  • CMC $1,390
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Palomar College $10,650
  • CMC $13,570
  • Room & Board
  • Palomar College $25,804
  • CMC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • Palomar College $8,372
  • CMC $9,827
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Palomar College $4,972
  • CMC $7,478
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Palomar College 81%
  • CMC 93%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Palomar College 25:1
  • CMC 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Palomar College
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • General Studies (7%)
    • Business (6%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • CMC
    • Health Professions (30%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (28%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Business (9%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Palomar College -
  • CMC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Palomar College $39,700
  • CMC $33,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Palomar College 30%
  • CMC 28%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Palomar College $7,000
  • CMC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Palomar College $72
  • CMC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Palomar College 54%
  • CMC 36%
  • % Women
  • Palomar College 46%
  • CMC 64%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Palomar College High
  • CMC High
  • HBCU
  • Palomar College No
  • CMC No
  • % White
  • Palomar College 40%
  • CMC 52%
  • % Asian
  • Palomar College 6%
  • CMC 4%
  • % Black
  • Palomar College 3%
  • CMC 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • Palomar College 40%
  • CMC 27%
  • % Native American
  • Palomar College 1%
  • CMC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Palomar College 0%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Palomar College 5%
  • CMC 7%
  • % International
  • Palomar College 1%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Palomar College 3%
  • CMC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Palomar College 97%
  • CMC 90%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Palomar College 0%
  • CMC 0%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Palomar College in San Marcos, CA with Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Palomar College is larger than CMC based on total student enrollment (19,550 students vs. 2,019 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Palomar College is located in San Marcos, CA (Small City setting); Copper Mountain Community College is in Joshua Tree, CA (Distant Rural setting).
  • Palomar College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Copper Mountain Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Palomar College 25:1; Copper Mountain Community College 18:1.

Palomar College vs. CMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Palomar College or CMC? 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 CMC ($8,372 vs. $9,827).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Copper Mountain Community College are 14.4% lower than at Palomar College ($22,086 vs. $25,804).
  • Copper Mountain Community College is 2.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Palomar College (about $36 more per year; $1,390.00 vs. $1,354.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 27.4% higher at CMC than at Palomar College (about $2,920 more per year; $13,570.00 vs. $10,650.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Copper Mountain Community College than at Palomar College (93% vs. 81%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Copper Mountain Community College students is 50.4% larger than aid received by Palomar College students ($7,478 vs. $4,972).

Palomar College vs. CMC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Palomar College or CMC? 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 CMC 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; CMC - Open admission.

Palomar College vs. CMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Palomar College and CMC? 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 $6,700 more per year than CMC graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,700 vs. $33,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More Palomar College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMC students, three years after graduation. (30% vs. 28%)

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.