Private nonprofit · Community college
Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad
Carlsbad, California · Midsize city
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $30,055
- Avg net price
- 91%
- Grad / completion
- $42,588
- Median earnings
Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad is a private nonprofit certificate-granting institution in Carlsbad, California (midsize city setting), enrolling 186 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California, United States. The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition of 1769, met native villagers while camped on Buena Vista Creek. Carlsbad's core industries include information technology, video game development, manufacturing, robotics, medical devices, life science, wireless technology, clean technology, action sports, tourism, design development and real estate. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Certificate
- Nearest big city
- 30 miles to San Diego, CA
- To the ocean
- 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 2 miles to McClellan-Palomar (CLD)
How Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad compares
Higher than 91% · #41 of 382 in California
Higher than 78% · #93 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 8% · #321 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 95%
Larger than 43%
Percentiles compare Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in California.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women10858%
- Men7842%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White27%
- Black2.7%
- Hispanic13%
- Asian11%
- Other or multiracial45%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 186
- Student–faculty ratio
- 6 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 12%
- First-generation students
- 33%
- Students over 25
- 52%
- Median family income
- $18,810
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- —
- Room & board
- —
- Total cost of attendance
- —
- Average net price
- $30,055
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 91%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,110
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $42,588
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 37%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 74%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 20% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $14,563. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 66 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $42,588
- Typical debt at graduation
- —
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- —
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 65%
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 76°F
- Winter low
- 47°F
- Annual rain
- 11.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Carlsbad Palomar AP, CA US station (2.3 mi from campus).
What Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad side by side →
North Bennet Street School
Boston, Massachusetts · Large city · < 1 mi to Boston
- Students
- 155
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $44k
CET-San Diego
San Diego, California · Large city · 3 mi to San Diego
- Students
- 223
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $33k
Blake Austin College
Vacaville, California · Midsize suburb · 31 mi to Sacramento
- Students
- 217
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $43k
Mid-America College of Funeral Service
Jeffersonville, Indiana · Large suburb · 4 mi to Louisville
- Students
- 279
- Tuition
- $19k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $45k
Simon's Rock at Bard College
Barrytown, New York · Distant rural · 36 mi to Albany
- Students
- 225
- Tuition
- $69k
- Transfer
- 22%
- Earnings
- $47k
Casa Loma College-Los Angeles
Sherman Oaks, California · Large city · 15 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 758
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $50k
Colleges near Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad
MiraCosta College
Oceanside, CA · Public · Associate · 10,278 students
UEI College-Oceanside
Oceanside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 814 students
Vista Adult School
Vista, CA · Public · Certificate · 1,426 students
West Coast Barber College
Oceanside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 21 students
Palomar Institute of Cosmetology
San Marcos, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 193 students
Palomar College
San Marcos, CA · Public · Certificate · 17,712 students
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
San Marcos, CA · Private for-profit · Graduate
Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 573 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.