Palomar vs Golden West College

Palomar College and Golden West College, both esteemed community colleges in California, offer diverse educational opportunities to students seeking higher education. While they share similarities, each institution possesses unique characteristics that cater to different academic aspirations and preferences. Palomar College boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Golden West College maintains a slightly more selective admissions process. In terms of popular majors, Palomar College excels in liberal arts and sciences, while Golden West College shines in career-oriented programs such as business and healthcare. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which college aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences, ensuring a fulfilling and successful higher education journey.

	Golden West College	Palomar College
Overview
Location	Huntington Beach, California	San Marcos, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	66.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,843 Out of state: $31,211	In state: $29,408 Out of state: $38,004
Average net price	$5,433	$6,659
Tuition	In state: $1,104 Out of state: $8,472	In state: $1,288 Out of state: $9,884
Room & board
Available payment plans

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	75.0% Average amount $5,611	79.0% Average amount $4,544
Students receiving federal student loan	1.0% Average amount $7,067	0.0% Average amount $2,598
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	10,189 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%	17,566 Men 51.0% Women 49.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	2.1%	6.7%
International students	2.4%	0.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Hawaii Texas Oregon Washington	California

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Health Professions Business Psychology	Liberal Arts Social Sciences Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	26:1	22:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	41.8%	29.1%
Dropout rate	37.8%	46.1%
Transferred out	8.8%	10.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $67,253 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $81,153 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,411 Year 2: $15,695 Year 3: $26,025 Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $17,701 Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $17,577 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $67,154 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $12,468 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $77,544 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $68,079 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $44,438 Social Sciences, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: $29,028 Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $84,691 Year 3: N/A

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