Palau Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Trade schools in Palau: 1 trade and vocational campuses (0 trade schools, 1 community colleges) median net price $2,787 (-79.3% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $29,898 (-14.8% vs U.S.) median completion rate 27.3% employment-outcome proxy 5.6% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Palau include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 1 campuses in this profile (0 trade schools, 1 community colleges), with about 393 students enrolled, and median net price near $2,787. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Outlying Areas medians.
Palau vs regional & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palau (PW) | — | $2,787 | N/A | 27.3% | 393 |
| Outlying Areas (region median) | — | $4,106 | $3,500 | 48.0% | 51,165 |
| United States | — | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Palau vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palau (PW) | $29,898 | 5.6% | N/A | 0.00% | — | N/A | N/A |
| United States | $35,086 | 81.0% | 65.2% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Palau vs peer states (Outlying Areas region)
Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.
| State | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palau (PW) | N/A | $2,787 | N/A | 27.3% | 393 | $29,898 | 5.6% |
| American Samoa (AS) | N/A | $3,386 | N/A | N/A | 839 | $30,087 | 83.4% |
| Marshall Islands (MH) | N/A | $9,996 | N/A | N/A | 1,009 | N/A | 2.2% |
| Guam (GU) | N/A | $4,106 | N/A | N/A | 1,139 | $27,820 | 77.4% |
| Northern Mariana Islands (MP) | N/A | $2,789 | N/A | N/A | 1,225 | $27,836 | 61.2% |
| United States | N/A | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 | $35,086 | 81.0% |
Top trade school in Palau by completion rate (150% time, certificate programs)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate among trade schools and community colleges in this profile (enrollment ≥ 50). Source: College Scorecard.
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Rank 1, Completion Rate, 27.3%, Palau Community College
Palau Community College
Top trade school in Palau by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 5.6%, Palau Community College
Palau Community College
Top trade school in Palau by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $26,583, Palau Community College
Palau Community College
Top trade school in Palau by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $23,002, Palau Community College
Palau Community College
Top trade school in Palau by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $29,898, Palau Community College
Palau Community College
Top trade school in Palau by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year ROI among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $122,364, Palau Community College
Palau Community College
Most affordable trade school in Palau (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $2,787, Palau Community College
Palau Community College
Median earnings (10 years out): Palau vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Palau center around $29,898 (-14.8% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Palau vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 5.6% at the median Palau campus (-75.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Palau are $29,898, about -14.8% vs the U.S. campus median ($35,086).
The median campus reports 5.6% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 81.0% (-75.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 0.00% (U.S. 11.1%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Palau ranks earnings #51 and employment proxy #56 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Palau Community College (5.6%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Palau is 27.3% (national institution average about 61.5%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do trade schools cost in Palau?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Palau, median net price is $2,787 vs $13,448 nationally (-79.3% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Palau trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Palau is N/A vs a U.S. median of $9,792
What do trade school graduates earn in Palau?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Palau trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $29,898 vs $35,086 nationally. Six-year medians are $26,583.
What share of Palau trade school students are working after completion?
The federal employment-outcome proxy on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 5.6% in Palau vs 81.0% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Palau?
This profile covers 0 trade schools and 1 community colleges (1 total) in Palau with roughly 393 total reported enrollment.
What are the top trade schools in Palau?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: Palau Community College; highest 10-year earnings: Palau Community College; lowest net price among large campuses: Palau Community College. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Palau?
Among 1 College Scorecard campuses in Palau, none are flagged as HBCUs or tribal colleges in IPEDS, and none meet our 25% Hispanic-enrollment HSI proxy or report a religious affiliation in IPEDS.
How does Palau compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Palau is in the Outlying Areas region. Regional median net price is $4,106 and median 10-year earnings are $21,766 vs $2,787 net price and $29,898 earnings in Palau.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Palau college profile
- Trade school costs by state
- Trade schools and public community colleges (College Scorecard)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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