Student Outcomes

Success rates, completion statistics, and student outcome metrics for Palomar College

San Marcos, CA

Overall Completion Rate

27.8%

Working Student Success

27.6%

Transfer Out Rate

31.2%

Still Enrolled Rate

1.5%

What Happens After Students Enroll?

Eight-Year Student Outcomes

Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Palomar College. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.

19.1%
23.6%
56.4%
Completed
19.1%
2,362 students
Still Enrolled
1.0%
119 students
Transferred Out
23.6%
2,918 students
No Award
56.4%
6,978 students

Understanding These Outcomes

Completed: Students who earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from this institution.

Still Enrolled: Students who remain enrolled at this institution after the tracking period.

Transferred Out: Students who transferred to another institution and may have completed there.

No Award: Students who left without earning a credential and are not enrolled elsewhere.

Combined completion and transfer rate of 42.7% indicates strong student success pathways.

These outcomes track what happened to students eight years after they first enrolled. Completion rates include certificates, diplomas, and degrees earned at this institution. Transfer rates show students who continued their education at other colleges. Understanding these pathways helps prospective students set realistic expectations and plan their educational journey.

What Are Student Transfer and Continuation Patterns?

Success Rates by Student Entry Pathway

Comparing completion rates across different student entry pathways helps understand which groups succeed and how transfer experience impacts outcomes.

First-Time Students(2,348 cohort size)
44.0%
44.0% completed
20.0% transferred to other institutions
Transfer-In Students(940 cohort size)
31.0%
31.0% completed
41.0% transferred again to other institutions
Continuing Students(2,803 cohort size)
19.0%
19.0% completed

Key Insights

First-time students have an advantage of 13.0 percentage points over transfer students, which may reflect the benefits of starting fresh at the institution.

Combined 30.5% transfer-out rate suggests this institution may serve as a stepping stone for students continuing their education elsewhere.

Cohort Composition

2,348
First-Time
940
Transfer-In
2,803
Continuing

Understanding Student Pathways

First-Time Students: Beginning postsecondary education for the first time at this institution.

Transfer-In Students: Previously attended another postsecondary institution before enrolling here.

Continuing Students: Returned to this institution after a break in enrollment.

Completion rates tracked over 8 years from initial entry.

Different student entry pathways lead to varying success rates. First-time students enter directly from high school or are starting college for the first time. Transfer students bring prior college experience and credits. Understanding these patterns helps you identify which pathway aligns best with your situation and predict your likelihood of success.

What are the Completion Rates by Student Type

Full-time Students
28.8%
Part-time Students
27.6%
First-time Students
43.7%
Transfer Students
24.7%

What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Full-time students have a higher completion rate (28.8%) compared to part-time students (27.6%). Consider your work and life commitments when deciding on your enrollment status. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.

What are the Cohort Outcomes Over Time

Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 9,340 students

After 4 Years

348
Certificates
1,503
Associate Degrees
1,851
Total Awards
20%
Completion Rate

After 6 Years

412
Certificates
1,788
Associate Degrees
2,200
Total Awards
24%
Completion Rate

After 8 Years (Final)

422
Certificates
1,940
Associate Degrees
2,362
Total Awards
25%
Completion Rate

Final Student Status

25%
Graduated
1%
Still Enrolled Here
31%
Enrolled Elsewhere
0%
Status Unknown

Completion Breakdown by Cohort

Part-time First-time Students

Cohort Size: 1,464
8-Year Rate: 46%

All First-time Students

Cohort Size: 2,348
8-Year Rate: 44%

Full-time First-time Students

Cohort Size: 884
8-Year Rate: 41%

Part-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 603
8-Year Rate: 34%

All First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 940
8-Year Rate: 31%

All Full-time Students

Cohort Size: 2,038
8-Year Rate: 31%

Full-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 337
8-Year Rate: 27%

Full-time Non-first-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 319
8-Year Rate: 25%

Time to Completion

Average time: 5 years
Median time: 5 years
Complete on time: 22.1%

About This Data

Outcome measures data tracks student cohorts over 4, 6, and 8-year periods. Data is sourced from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reflects the most recent available reporting year.