Career Training Path › Texas › Palo Alto College
Palo Alto College
San Antonio, Texas · Public community college
Address: 1400 W Villaret Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78224 · Phone: (210) 486-3000 · School website ↗ · Verify on College Scorecard ↗
No accreditor sanctions in the last 36 months
Palo Alto College is a public trade school in San Antonio, TX offering cosmetology programs, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Median graduate debt is $13,393 and median earnings 10 years after entry are $37,448, per the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; completion rate versus the state average of 63.5% is not reported for this campus.
Cost of attendance is not reported in federal data for Palo Alto College; contact the school for current tuition. Federal financial aid, including FAFSA and Pell Grants, can be used here, and 26.6% of students receive Pell Grants.
What these trades pay once you're working
| Occupation | Starting (10th pct) | Median | Experienced (75th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists | $23,580 | $30,680 | $47,180 |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wages for everyone employed in the occupation in Texas (May 2025; national where the state figure is not published). The program table below shows what this campus's own graduates earned in their first year, whatever job they took.
Trade programs at this campus
| Program | Credential | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Earnings, yr 2 | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Associate degree | 47 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Certificate, 1–2 years | 31 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Certificate, 300–899 hours | 18 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Graduates per year from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey. Earnings and debt are College Scorecard field-of-study medians for graduates of this program at this campus (reported at the 4-digit program level, so closely related programs share a figure); "not reported" means too few graduates were counted to publish a figure.
About this school
Palo Alto College is a public trade and career campus located in San Antonio, Texas. It participates in federal financial aid programs (Title IV), meaning eligible students can use FAFSA, Pell Grants, and federal loans to help pay for their education. The college holds accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, with additional program-specific accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation. Its most notable trade offering is cosmetology, with 96 completers reported in that program family.
Federal data shows some but not all outcome figures for this campus. The completion rate compared to the state average of 63.5% is not reported for this campus in federal data. Graduates carry a median debt of $13,393, and median earnings ten years after entry are reported at $37,448. Annual cost of attendance is not reported for this campus in federal data. About 26.6% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating a meaningful share of lower-income enrollment among the college's 8,801 undergraduates.
This campus, situated in a large city, may suit students seeking cosmetology training within a broader public college setting rather than a stand-alone trade school. Whether the program length and schedule fit an adult career-changer's needs is not detailed in the available data, so prospective students should contact the school directly. To verify accreditation status and review updated federal outcome figures, check with the listed accreditors directly or consult the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
Questions students ask
What trade and career programs does this campus offer?
Palo Alto College's primary trade offering reported in federal data is cosmetology, with 96 completers. Three program families are listed overall for this campus.
Is this school accredited, and by whom?
Yes, the college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, with program-specific accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Can I use federal financial aid (FAFSA, Pell Grants) at this school?
Yes, this school participates in Title IV federal financial aid programs, so eligible students can use FAFSA, Pell Grants, and federal loans.
What share of students finish their program here, and how does that compare to the state?
The completion rate for this campus compared to the state average of 63.5% is not reported for this campus in federal data. Contact the school or check the College Scorecard for updates.
How much debt do graduates of this school typically carry?
Graduates carry a median debt of $13,393, according to federal data.
What do graduates of this school earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entry are reported at $37,448.
How much does it cost to attend for a year?
Annual cost of attendance is not reported for this campus in federal data; contact the school at (210) 486-3000 or visit its website for current tuition figures.
Is this a public, non-profit, or for-profit school, and why does that matter?
Palo Alto College is a public institution, which typically means lower published tuition for in-state residents and eligibility for state funding, though specific tuition figures are not reported here.
How long do the programs here take to complete?
Program length is not reported in the available federal data; contact the school directly for details on its cosmetology program schedule.
How do I verify this school's accreditation and outcomes myself?
You can verify accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or the relevant program accreditors, and review federal outcome data at the College Scorecard link: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?246354.
Is this school a good fit for an adult changing careers?
Whether this program fits an adult career-changer's schedule is not detailed in the data provided; prospective students should contact the school directly to ask about program format and flexibility.
How do I contact the school or apply?
You can reach Palo Alto College by phone at (210) 486-3000 or visit its website at https://alamo.edu/pac/ for application details.
How does this campus compare with other schools offering the same trade nearby?
Comparative data with other nearby trade schools is not reported for this campus in federal data; the College Scorecard can be used to look up other institutions in the San Antonio area.
Data: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026. Figures are the U.S. Department of Education's official measures, not Career Training Path's opinion. Tuition, schedules and program availability change — confirm with the school before enrolling.