Is Palomar College Worth It?

Palomar College costs $5,247 a year net, and that low price is what makes the numbers work. Median earnings of $42,300 ten years out won't make anyone rich, but against a bill this small, you recover your costs fast. The financial return here is solid for a two-year school, with a catch: only about a third of students finish, and the payoff assumes you're in that third.

Program choice decides everything. The nursing associate degree at $69,338 is the standout credential that leads to a real career and pays for itself many times over. The electrical and power transmission certificate reports even higher at $84,691, though that's a certificate, not a degree, and enrollment in these trade tracks tends to be small. On the other end, the Social Sciences associate degree posts $24,035 , below what many jobs requiring no college pay. If that's your plan, treat Palomar as a transfer step to a four-year school, not an endpoint. The general Liberal Arts and Sciences track at $52,107 sits in the middle and works mainly as a transfer pathway.

The main risk is completion. A 33.8% graduation rate means most people who start don't finish, and the earnings figures only apply to those who do. Dropping out leaves you with time lost and little to show for it.

The net price tiers stay reasonable across incomes: even families over $110k pay under $12,000 a year, and families under $30k pay roughly $4,000. Palomar fits you if you can commit to finishing a career-focused program like nursing or a skilled trade, or if you're using it to transfer cheaply. Look elsewhere if you want a terminal degree in a low-paying field and expect it to stand on its own.