Palomar College

San Marcos, CA 17,712 Undergrads 24.6% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$14,360

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$5,763

After Aid

Median Earnings

$82,130

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,763

Peer Midpoint: $17,333.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$82,130

Peer Midpoint: $34,461

Graduation Rate24.6%

Peer Midpoint: 68.7%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients19.6%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time35.7%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS63.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

100.0%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV

Vs Median Peer

Vs HS Grad

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

+$898k

+$507k

+$414k

Median Cost$6k/yr

+$893k

+$501k

+$408k

Full Cost$14k/yr

+$885k

+$493k

+$400k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$6k/yr

7640%

Full Cost$14k/yr

3006%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return6179%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return1540%

Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Certificates

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

CertCIP: 5109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,584

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Carpenters

CertCIP: 4602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,835

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electrical and Power Transmission Installers

CertCIP: 4603

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$84,691

Natl Median: $54,485

Lifetime Value Added

+$467k

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

CertCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,906

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Associate's Degrees

Biological and Physical Sciences

AssocCIP: 3001

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$42,957

Natl Median: $50,393

Lifetime Value Added

-$41k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

AssocCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$65,947

Natl Median: $47,793

Lifetime Value Added

+$177k

Criminal Justice and Corrections

AssocCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,706

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

AssocCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $31,773

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electrical and Power Transmission Installers

AssocCIP: 4603

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $70,808

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fire Protection

AssocCIP: 4302

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,589

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Graphic Communications

AssocCIP: 1003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,221

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$67,708

Natl Median: $42,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$193k

Music

AssocCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $34,056

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

AssocCIP: 5138

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$99,819

Natl Median: $80,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$475k

Social Sciences, General

AssocCIP: 4501

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$38,312

Natl Median: $43,146

Lifetime Value Added

-$87k

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 4706

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,424

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Other Programs

Economics

DegCIP: 4506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $82,473

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

DegCIP: 0502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,144

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.