The student population at Palo Alto College is 12,395 (all undergraduate). The number of students has increased by 3,724 (42.95%) over the past decade.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 62 male students for every 100 female students, down from 64 in 2015.
- 4,882 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 78.83% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 10,346 where 12,395 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 8 year-over-year increases and 1 decrease. It peaked at 12,395 students in 2025 and was lowest at 8,671 in 2016. Overall, enrollment rose from 8,671 to 12,395 students, a net gain of 3,724 (42.9%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Palo Alto College since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 12.19% and the percentage of black students is 4.79% at Palo Alto College. 1.31% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 76.17% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 18.56% to 12.19%. Asian enrollment grew from 0.81% to 1.31%. Black student enrollment increased from 3.06% to 4.79%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 75.35% to 76.17%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.4020 which indicates that somewhat diverse. This increased from 0.3965 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Palo Alto College over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
4,882 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 39% of total students. The number of online students has increased 78.83% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Palo Alto College from 2015 to 2025.