Private for-profit · Community college
Palomar Institute of Cosmetology
San Marcos, California · Large suburb
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $27,778
- Avg net price
- 89%
- Grad / completion
- $23,451
- Median earnings
Palomar Institute of Cosmetology is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in San Marcos, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 193 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About San Marcos, California
San Marcos is a city in the North County region of San Diego County, California, United States. On April 22, 1840, Governor Juan B. Alvarado granted Rancho Vallecitos de San Marcos to his relative, Jose María Alvarado. Jose Alvarado was killed at the Pauma Massacre in 1846, and the land was left to his wife; she then sold the land to Lorenzo Soto. An illuminated cross on a hill above Lake San Marcos that is visible at night from many parts of the city has been a community landmark for decades. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Certificate
- Nearest big city
- 29 miles to San Diego, CA
- To the ocean
- 8 miles
- Nearest airport
- 5 miles to McClellan-Palomar (CLD)
How Palomar Institute of Cosmetology compares
Higher than 89% · #50 of 382 in California
Higher than 90%
Higher than 12% · #294 of 326 in California
Cheaper than 12% · #289 cheapest of 377 in California
Lower than 90%
Lower than 16%
Larger than 44%
Percentiles compare Palomar Institute of Cosmetology 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 race / ethnicity
- White30%
- Black2.1%
- Hispanic53%
- Asian2.6%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 193
- Student–faculty ratio
- 24 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 33%
- First-generation students
- 53%
- Students over 25
- 30%
- Median family income
- $23,204
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
- $27,778
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
- 89%
- First-year retention
- 97%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $20,718
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $23,451
- Median debt at graduation
- $6,333
- Students with federal loans
- 43%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 49%
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?
Palomar Institute of Cosmetology funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.
Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $23,451
- Typical debt at graduation
- $6,333
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 27%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 37%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
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 (5.3 mi from campus).
What Palomar Institute of Cosmetology 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 Palomar Institute of Cosmetology
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Palomar Institute of Cosmetology side by side →
Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Vacaville
Vacaville, California · Midsize suburb · 29 mi to Sacramento
- Students
- 260
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
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Paul Mitchell the School-Temecula
Temecula, California · Midsize city · 35 mi to Riverside
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- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
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Paul Mitchell the School-Pasadena
Pasadena, California · Midsize city · 9 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 170
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $26k
Associated Technical College-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California · Large city · 2 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 315
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $24k
American Beauty College
West Covina, California · Large suburb · 18 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 334
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
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Beyond 21st Century Beauty Academy
Santa Fe Springs, California · Large suburb · 15 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 120
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- —
- Earnings
- $25k
Colleges near Palomar Institute of Cosmetology
Palomar College
San Marcos, CA · Public · Certificate · 17,712 students
Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 573 students
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
San Marcos, CA · Private for-profit · Graduate
California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, CA · Public · Bachelor's · 14,877 students
Vista Adult School
Vista, CA · Public · Certificate · 1,426 students
Escondido Adult School
Escondido, CA · Public · Certificate · 1,476 students
Southern California College of Barber and Beauty
Escondido, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 59 students
John Paul the Great Catholic University
Escondido, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 286 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.