Palomar College vs. San Diego Mesa College

Should I go to Palomar College or San Diego Mesa College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Palomar College or San Diego Mesa College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Palomar College vs. San Diego Mesa College comparison
Palomar College San Diego Mesa College College 3 College 4
Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
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Overview

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
Location San Marcos, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 17,655 18,076
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website palomar.edu sdmesa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
Tuition (In State) $1,288 $1,104
Tuition (Out of State) $10,584 $7,400
Room & Board $22,338 $17,786
Avg Net Price $8,476 $8,506
Avg Grant Aid $5,896 $6,656
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 57%

Admission

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline

Academics

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)

Outcomes

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,700 $41,600
Making Student Loan Payments 30% 41%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,000 $4,500
Median Loan Payment $72 $46

Diversity

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 33%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 40% 35%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
% In-State 94% 98%
% Out-of-State 0% 1%

Campus

Palomar College San Diego Mesa College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego Mesa College is larger than than Palomar College based on total student enrollment (18,076 students vs. 17,655 students)

Palomar College vs. San Diego Mesa College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Palomar College or San Diego Mesa College?

  • Palomar College is 16.7% more expensive to attend than San Diego Mesa College for in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43% higher at Palomar College than San Diego Mesa College ($10,584.00 vs. $7,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Palomar College than San Diego Mesa College ($8,476 vs. $8,506)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Diego Mesa College are 25.6% lower than costs at Palomar College ($17,786 vs. $22,338)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palomar College than San Diego Mesa College (80% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego Mesa College students is 12.9% larger than aid received Palomar College ($6,656 vs. $5,896)

Which college is harder to get into, Palomar College or San Diego Mesa College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between San Diego Mesa College or Palomar College .

Palomar College vs. San Diego Mesa College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Palomar College or San Diego Mesa College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between San Diego Mesa College and Palomar College.

  • Graduates from San Diego Mesa College earn on average $1,900 more per year than Palomar College graduates after ten years. ($41,600 vs. $39,700)
  • San Diego Mesa College students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Palomar College graduates. ($4,500 vs. $7,000)
  • San Diego Mesa College graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Palomar College graduates. ($46 vs. $72)
  • More San Diego Mesa College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Palomar College students, three years after graduation. (41% vs. 30%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/