Palo Alto University
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1337
About Palo Alto University
Palo Alto University is a private research university in Palo Alto, California, enrolling about 14 students. Palo Alto University awards degrees and certificates tracked in federal College Scorecard and IPEDS reporting. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $83,187 among students who received federal aid.
Palo Alto University: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Palo Alto University—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Median earnings should be read with net price, debt, and completion—not as a standalone quality score.
Student outcomes
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Palo Alto University is known for
Top program completions
- Clinical Psychology160
- Mental Health Counseling/Counselor96
- Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling57
- Psychology, General42
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Palo Alto University a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Palo Alto University is a good school for those looking for strong graduate earnings outcomes in College Scorecard data.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Palo Alto University.
Campus
Location
Palo Alto, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 94304-1337
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Business and Management
Size
Enrollment
14
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 24
- Graduate
- 1,051
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$20,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 50.00%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Palo Alto University.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Palo Alto University was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Palo Alto University in that year.
Multi-year history is not in this profile yet. It is added when the institution cost history CSV has been collected and merged into school JSON.
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Palo Alto University reported total enrollment of about 14 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 14% male and 86% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (35.7%), Asian (21.4%), and Black or African American (14.3%). About 50.00% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 47.1% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
100.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Palo Alto University in 2024 is 14 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 24 students. Graduate enrollment is about 1,051 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
N/A%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
0.00% 100% Completion Time
0.00% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Palo Alto University completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Clinical Psychology: 16% male / 84% female
- Mental Health Counseling/Counselor: 20% male / 80% female
- Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling: 16% male / 84% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Palo Alto University graduates earn a median of $83,187 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Palo Alto University.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $83,187. Median federal loan debt: $20,500.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Palo Alto University graduates report median earnings of $83,187 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Palo Alto University.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 4 programs by IPEDS completions (5 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Palo Alto University.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Palo Alto University graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Palo Alto University—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$950,389
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- California median 0.05× the median ($19.7M)
- Far West median 0.06× the median ($16.8M)
- U.S. median 0.04× the median ($26.4M)
- California median 0.10× the median ($7,407)
- Far West median 0.11× the median ($7,260)
- U.S. median 0.06× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 55.8%
- California median 16.5 pp above median (39.3%)
- Far West median 10.1 pp above median (45.7%)
- U.S. median 2.1 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $16,185
- California median 1.6× the median ($10,166)
- Far West median 1.7× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median 2.1× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $24,704
- California median 3.8× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 3.5× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 3.4× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Palo Alto University at a glance
Palo Alto University
Palo Alto University is a private non-profit institution in Palo Alto, CA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Business and Management.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Clinical PsychologyMental Health Counseling/CounselorMarriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian35.7%Asian21.4%Black or African American14.3%
Schools near Palo Alto University
Other campuses in Palo Alto, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Palo Alto University located?
Palo Alto University is located in Palo Alto, CA.
How much does Palo Alto University cost?
Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is N/A in the latest College Scorecard data.
What is the student body demographics at Palo Alto University?
Palo Alto University reports undergraduate enrollment of about 24 students, White (35.7%), Asian (21.4%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Palo Alto University?
About 47.1% of students at Palo Alto University are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Palo Alto University earn?
Median earnings are $63,310 six years after entry and $83,187 ten years after entry.
How much debt do Palo Alto University students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $20,500.
Is Palo Alto University public or private?
Palo Alto University is a private nonprofit institution located in Palo Alto, CA.
Is Palo Alto University an HBCU?
No. Palo Alto University is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Palo Alto University a tribal college?
No. Palo Alto University is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Palo Alto University a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Palo Alto University does not meet that proxy (reported share 7.1%).
Is Palo Alto University religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for Palo Alto University in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.