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Palo Alto College

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Public, 2-year

School Size & Setting

Large | Urban

Students-to-Faculty Ratio

79:1

Religious affliation

Not applicable

Mission Statement

As a public comprehensive community college, Palo Alto College provides exemplary, accessible education and training to a diverse and aspiring community. The College educates, nurtures and inspires students through a dynamic and supportive learning environment, which promotes the intellectual, cultural, economic and social life of the community.

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cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$6,742

Out of state

$14,272
Graduate

In state

No information

Out of state

No information

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
90%
Type of aid % of students receiving aid Average amount
Federal grants 70.0% $4,986
State/local grants 44.0% $2,429
Institutional grants 19.0% $1,050
Loans 2.0% $5,904

Other Estimated Costs

Housing

Not Available

Books & Supplies

$500 per year

Personal Expenses

Not Available

Pay For College with ROTC

Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) is a college scholarship program that prepares students to become military officers

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Financial aid resources

Paying for Two-Year College and Trade School

Find out what to know before you commit and ways to cover the costs, including financial aid, loans, grants and scholarships.

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

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Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • General Studies
  • Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management
  • Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General
  • Business Administration and Management, General
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Business Administration and Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. Includes instruction in management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to manage and coordinate all logistical functions in an enterprise, ranging from acquisitions to receiving and handling, through internal allocation of resources to operations units, to the handling and delivery of output. Includes instruction in acquisitions and purchasing, inventory control, storage and handling, just-in-time manufacturing, logistics planning, shipping and delivery management, transportation, quality control, resource estimation and allocation, and budgeting. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Accounting
      • A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to perform the duties of administrative assistants and/or secretaries and stenographers. Includes instruction in business communications, principles of business law, word processing and data entry, office machines operation and maintenance, office procedures, public relations, secretarial accounting, filing systems and records management, and report preparation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Marketing/Marketing Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to undertake and manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. Includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, principle of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer and Information Sciences, General
      • A general program that focuses on computing, computer science, and information science and systems. Such programs are undifferentiated as to title and content and are not to be confused with specific programs in computer science, information science, or related support services. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Information Science/Studies
      • A program that focuses on the theory, organization, and process of information collection, transmission, and utilization in traditional and electronic forms. Includes instruction in information classification and organization; information storage and processing; transmission, transfer, and signaling; communications and networking; systems planning and design; human interfacing and use analysis; database development; information policy analysis; and related aspects of hardware, software, economics, social factors, and capacity. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • CULINARY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND PERSONAL SERVICES
    • Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to cut, trim, and style scalp, facial, and body hair; apply cosmetic preparations; perform manicures and pedicures; massage the head and extremities; and prepare for practice as licensed cosmetologists in specialized or full-service salons. Includes instruction in hair cutting and styling, manicuring, pedicuring, facial treatments, shampooing, chemical applications, esthetics, shop management, sanitation and safety, customer service, and applicable professional and labor laws and regulations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
      • A program that prepares individuals to teach students at more than one educational level, such as a combined program in elementary/secondary, early childhood/elementary, elementary/middle school, or junior high/high school teacher education. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Teacher Assistant/Aide
      • A program that prepares individuals to assist a teacher in regular classroom settings or in providing instruction and supervision to special student populations, such as bilingual/bicultural students, special education students, adult learners, and students learning English. Includes instruction in techniques of general classroom supervision, maintaining order, assisting with lessons and carrying out related assignments. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGINEERING
    • Civil Engineering, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of structural, load-bearing, material moving, transportation, water resource, and material control systems; and environmental safety measures. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of electrical and electronic systems and their components, including electrical power generation systems; and the analysis of problems such as superconductor, wave propagation, energy storage and retrieval, and reception and amplification. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Mechanical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of physical systems used in manufacturing and end-product systems used for specific uses, including machine tools, jigs and other manufacturing equipment; stationary power units and appliances; engines; self-propelled vehicles; housings and containers; hydraulic and electric systems for controlling movement; and the integration of computers and remote control with operating systems. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS
    • Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of engineers engaged in developing and testing automated, servomechanical, and other electromechanical systems. Includes instruction in prototype testing, manufacturing and operational testing, systems analysis and maintenance procedures, and report preparation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Petroleum Technology/Technician
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of engineers and other professionals engaged in the development and operation of oil and natural gas extraction and processing facilities. Includes instruction in principles of petroleum extraction and related geology, petroleum field mapping and site analysis, testing and sampling methods, instrument calibration, laboratory analysis, test equipment operation and maintenance, environment and safety monitoring procedures for oil/gas fields and facilities, facility inspection procedures, and report preparation. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
    • Spanish Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; Modern Castillan; Latin American and regional Spanish dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Health and Wellness, General
      • A program of study that prepares individuals to assume roles as health/wellness professionals in private business and industry, community organizations, and health care settings. Includes instruction in personal health, community health and welfare, nutrition, epidemiology, disease prevention, fitness and exercise, and health behaviors. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply managerial principles to the administration of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other health care facilities. Includes instruction in facilities planning, building and operations management, business management, financial management and insurance, fund-raising and marketing, public relations, human resources management and labor relations, health care facilities operations, principles of health care delivery, and applicable law and regulations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Pre-Dentistry Studies
    • Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies
    • Pre-Pharmacy Studies
    • Pre-Nursing Studies
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES
    • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
      • A program that focuses on the criminal justice system, its organizational components and processes, and its legal and public policy contexts. Includes instruction in criminal law and policy, police and correctional systems organization, the administration of justice and the judiciary, and public attitudes regarding criminal justice issues. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
      • A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • General Studies
    • Humanities/Humanistic Studies
      • A program that focuses on combined studies and research in the humanities subjects as distinguished from the social and physical sciences, emphasizing languages, literatures, art, music, philosophy and religion. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBRARY SCIENCE
    • Library and Archives Assisting
      • A program that prepares individuals to assist professional librarians and archivists. Includes instruction in principles, systems, processes, and procedures of library and archive operation; library resources and services; processes of acquisition, cataloging, storage, and display systems; discovery and retrieval of requested materials; and management of books, periodicals, and other documents and records. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY
    • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General
      • A general program that focuses on activities and principles that promote physical fitness, achieve and maintain athletic prowess, and accomplish related research and service goals. Includes instruction in human movement studies, motivation studies, rules and practice of specific sports, exercise and fitness principles and techniques, basic athletic injury prevention and treatment, and organizing and leading fitness and sports programs. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
    • Philosophy
      • A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geology/Earth Science, General
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the earth; the forces acting upon it; and the behavior of the solids, liquids and gases comprising it. Includes instruction in historical geology, geomorphology, and sedimentology, the chemistry of rocks and soils, stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrology, geostatistics, volcanology, glaciology, geophysical principles, and applications to research and industrial problems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Physics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS
    • Social Work
      • A program that prepares individuals for the professional practice of social welfare administration and counseling, and that focus on the study of organized means of providing basic support services for vulnerable individuals and groups. Includes instruction in social welfare policy; case work planning; social counseling and intervention strategies; administrative procedures and regulations; and specific applications in areas such as child welfare and family services, probation, employment services, and disability counseling. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Anthropology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major
    • International Relations and Affairs
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of international politics and institutions, and the conduct of diplomacy and foreign policy. Includes instruction in international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, international law and organization, the comparative study of specific countries and regions, and the theory and practice of diplomacy. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Sociology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See other colleges that offer this major
  • TRANSPORTATION AND MATERIALS MOVING
    • Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study of aviation and the aviation industry, including in-flight and ground support operations. Includes instruction in the technical, business, and general aspects of air transportation systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the flying and/or navigation of commercial passenger and cargo, agricultural, public service, corporate and rescue fixed wing aircraft. Includes instruction in principles of aircraft design and performance, aircraft flight systems and controls, flight crew operations and procedures, radio communications, navigation procedures and systems, airways safety and traffic regulations, and governmental rules and regulations pertaining to piloting aircraft. Programs may qualify individuals to sit for the FAA commercial and airline aircrew examinations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Aviation/Airway Management and Operations
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to the management of aviation industry operations and services. Includes instruction in airport operations, ground traffic direction, ground support and flightline operations, passenger and cargo operations, flight safety and security operations, aviation industry regulation, and related business aspects of managing aviation enterprises. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Air Traffic Controller
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to air-traffic management and control, usually with additional training at the FAA Flight Control Center in a cooperative education program. Includes instruction in flight control, the use of radar and electronic scanning devices, plotting of flights, radio communication, interpretation of weather conditions affecting flights, flight instrumentation used by pilots, and maintenance of flight-control center or control-tower log books. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Dance, General
      • A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine/Studio Arts, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See other colleges that offer this major
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Admissions

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$0
Graduate
No information
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Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
61%
Male Students
39%

Student Ethnicities
  1. Hispanic/Latino77.36%
  2. Caucasian13.03%
  3. Black4.45%
  4. Two Or More Ethnicities2.05%
  5. Not Specified1.66%
  6. Asian1.2%
  7. American Indian/Alaska Native0.18%
  8. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.07%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

16,510

Undergraduate students

16,510

Full Time Students
20%
Part Time Students
80%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children
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