Barstow Community College vs. Palomar College

Comparable Facts

Compare Barstow Community College in Barstow, CA with Palomar College in San Marcos, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Palomar College is larger than Barstow Community College based on total student enrollment (19,550 students vs. 3,226 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Barstow Community College is located in Barstow, CA (Distant Town setting); Palomar College is in San Marcos, CA (Small City setting).
• Barstow Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Palomar College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Barstow Community College 26:1; Palomar College 25:1.

Barstow Community College vs. Palomar College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Barstow Community College or Palomar College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Palomar College than Barstow Community College ($8,372 vs. $14,048).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Barstow Community College are 14.4% lower than at Palomar College ($22,086 vs. $25,804).
• Palomar College is 22.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than Barstow Community College (about $250 more per year; $1,354.00 vs. $1,104.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 9.3% higher at Palomar College than at Barstow Community College (about $906 more per year; $10,650.00 vs. $9,744.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Barstow Community College than at Palomar College (91% vs. 81%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Barstow Community College students is 58.2% larger than aid received by Palomar College students ($7,866 vs. $4,972).

Barstow Community College vs. Palomar College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Barstow Community College or Palomar College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Palomar College and Barstow Community College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Barstow Community College - Open admission; Palomar College - Open admission.

Barstow Community College vs. Palomar College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Barstow Community College and Palomar College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Palomar College earn a median of about $4,800 more per year than Barstow Community College graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,700 vs. $34,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.