by our College Data Analytics TeamHere is what you can expect to pay at Palomar College, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The full cost of attending Palomar College fell between $13,997.00 through $23,293.00 across residency tiers.
In-state residents qualified for the lower cost, with out-of-state students paying more: close to $13,997.00 for in-state students versus $23,293.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $1,354.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $12,643.00 |
| Total cost | $13,997.00 |
| That is 27% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $13,997.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$8,597.00 |
| Net price | $5,400.00 |
| That is 72% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $13,997.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$10,092.00 |
| Net price | $3,905.00 |
| That is 80% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $10,650.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $12,643.00 |
| Total cost | $23,293.00 |
| That is 21% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,293.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$8,597.00 |
| Net price | $14,696.00 |
| That is 24% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,293.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$10,092.00 |
| Net price | $13,201.00 |
| That is 31% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
The reported cost series has been increasing by roughly 2.4% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Freshman year | $3,998.00 | $5,528.00 | $14,330.00 |
| Senior year | $4,290.00 | $5,933.00 | $15,378.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $16,572.00 | $22,916.00 | $59,399.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $6,313.00 | $8,730.00 | $22,629.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $191.00 | $264.00 | $684.00 |
| Total amount paid | $22,885.00 | $31,646.00 | $82,028.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Freshman year | $3,998.00 | $5,528.00 | $14,330.00 |
| Senior year | $4,093.00 | $5,660.00 | $14,671.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $8,091.00 | $11,189.00 | $29,001.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $3,082.00 | $4,262.00 | $11,048.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $93.00 | $129.00 | $334.00 |
| Total amount paid | $11,173.00 | $15,451.00 | $40,050.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Freshman year | $13,515.00 | $15,046.00 | $23,847.00 |
| Senior year | $14,503.00 | $16,146.00 | $25,591.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $56,021.00 | $62,365.00 | $98,848.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $21,342.00 | $23,759.00 | $37,658.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $645.00 | $718.00 | $1,138.00 |
| Total amount paid | $77,363.00 | $86,124.00 | $136,506.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Freshman year | $13,515.00 | $15,046.00 | $23,847.00 |
| Senior year | $13,837.00 | $15,404.00 | $24,415.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $27,352.00 | $30,449.00 | $48,262.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $10,420.00 | $11,600.00 | $18,386.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $315.00 | $350.00 | $555.00 |
| Total amount paid | $37,772.00 | $42,050.00 | $66,648.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net price section below.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. It is usually a better planning number than the sticker cost above.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $5,763.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $5,247.00 |
Net price is far from uniform: lower-income families typically pay much less after aid. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $4,065.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $4,554.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $7,762.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $10,075.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $11,879.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Palomar College Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid breakdown.
Median graduate debt at Palomar College works out to $3,500.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Very Low (<$10k) debt-burden bucket.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $1,543.00 |
| 25th | $2,250.00 |
| Median (50th) | $3,500.00 |
| 75th | $6,030.00 |
| 90th | $11,340.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Dig deeper into debt on the student loan debt detail.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $4,000.00 |
| Middle income | $3,500.00 |
| High income | $3,500.00 |
Low-income borrowers graduate with $500.00 in extra median debt compared with high-income peers.
First-generation college students often carry different debt loads than their continuing-generation peers.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $3,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $3,500.00 |
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell median debt at Palomar College amounts to $500.00. Federal data flags this school for Pell-related debt inequity.
The federal default-rate tier for Palomar College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 27.6% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Palomar College reach $23,154,818.00 spread across 3,627 recipients.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing Palomar College, consider the following:
Dig further into the cost picture with the related pages below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.