by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Palomar College: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Palomar College specifically, 1% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $4,722 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $4,722, representing 85.9% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
For undergraduates overall at Palomar College, 1% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, at an average of $6,688 in federal loans per year. That amounts to 41.6% more than the first-year federal average of $4,722.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $13,376 across two years and $26,752 over four years. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 1% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,688 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 151 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,009,911 |
The median student at Palomar College borrows $3,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $3,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $3,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Palomar College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,543 |
| 25th percentile | $2,250 |
| 75th percentile | $6,030 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $11,340 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Palomar College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Palomar College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1257 | $16,481 |
| Completed (graduates) | 32 | $16,506 |
| Did not complete | 1225 | $16,481 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $196.27/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Palomar College.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1187 | $16,272 |
| No Stafford loan | 70 | $18,591 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 16 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 1241 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Palomar College.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Palomar College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 27.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 264 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $4,000 |
| Middle income | $3,500 |
| High income | $3,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $3,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $3,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $3,500 |
| Independent students | $4,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Palomar College.
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Worth Knowing
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.