Quad
Palo Alto UniversityPalo Alto, CA · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Psychology, General (100% of graduates). 15 students for every faculty member, more than at 66% of colleges. 56% of faculty are full-time. Spends $24,704 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

9 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 1 program accounts for 100% of graduates; 1 programs in 1 field awarded at least one.

  1. Psychology, General 42.0101100% 9

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a .

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Psychology, General$29,432 1 yr out

    1 year after completion: $29,432

    4 years after completion: Too few graduates to report

    Median federal debt: $16,470 · 32 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college15 to 1
15 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 66% of 1,892More students per faculty →

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Full-time faculty56%
National median: 67%Below typical
Average faculty salary

$145,668

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$24,704
$24,704
← Lessmore than 90% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$1,124
$1,124
← Lessmore than 3% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)