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Palo Alto University

#2202 in US ranking Palo Alto, CA
Type:
Private not-for-profit
Programs:
4 years or more

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Cost

Tuition & fees
$24,496
Avg. aid
$10,365

Outcomes

Median salary
$62,175
1 yr after graduation

What does Palo Alto University offer in terms of athletics?

Palo Alto University does not present varsity intercollegiate athletics as a central student offering. Its reported athletics information identifies no varsity sports or athletic-association membership.

Applicants seeking an NCAA team, a conference schedule, or athletic recruiting should not assume PAU provides one. Recreational exercise or informal sports are a separate question from varsity competition, and any current student-led activity should be confirmed through student-life resources. The university is better evaluated on its academic and professional-training offerings than on a traditional college-sports experience.

What student groups and Associations are available at Palo Alto University?

Student involvement at Palo Alto University is likely to be most relevant through academic, professional, and service-oriented groups connected to its fields of study. The current roster and activity level of recognized organizations can change from year to year.

Applicants interested in peer leadership, identity-based communities, psychology or counseling associations, or volunteer work should request the current student-organization directory and ask whether groups meet online, in person, or both. Membership in a professional association is not the same thing as joining a PAU-recognized student organization, and participation in either should not be assumed to satisfy a program's clinical-training requirements.

Who studies at Palo Alto University?

Palo Alto University is a relatively small, specialized institution. Its reported total enrollment was 1,065 students, a figure that includes students across its undergraduate and graduate offerings.

The 2024-25 undergraduate entry figures recorded no first-time, degree-seeking entrants and seven transfer entrants. These are entry-category counts, not a description of every undergraduate or of the university's graduate population. They nevertheless show why the experience of a typical PAU applicant may differ from that at a large, freshman-centered residential college.

Institutional figures also report a 15-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, with 48 full-time and 38 part-time faculty teaching undergraduate or graduate students. That ratio is an institution-wide calculation, not a promise about the size of a specific class, laboratory, or clinical supervision group.

How does student life look like at Palo Alto University?

Everyday life at Palo Alto University is shaped more by coursework, professional preparation, and commuting than by the residential and varsity-sports traditions of a large undergraduate campus. The experience will also differ between a bachelor's student and a graduate student balancing classes with research or clinical training.

PAU reports personal or psychological counseling among its student services, as well as a veterans affairs office. It also reports an undergraduate alumni networking and mentoring option. Those services serve different purposes: counseling addresses personal support, while alumni connections may help with career exploration but do not amount to job placement. Applicants should check the hours, eligibility, and in-person or remote availability of the services they expect to use.

What libraries are available to students at Palo Alto University?

The Omar Seddiqui Research Library is Palo Alto University's main library. It supports study and research at an institution whose coursework relies heavily on psychology, counseling, and behavioral-health literature.

Library information identifies reservable study rooms. Students planning research-intensive work should check the current library guide for database access, journal coverage, research assistance, borrowing rules, and access from off campus. The library is not reported as offering round-the-clock study areas, so students who need evening workspace should confirm current opening hours rather than assume 24-hour access.

Palo Alto University Student Life for 2027

Total enrollment

1065

Total staff

48 full time, 38 part time

Veterans affair office

Yes

Palo Alto University Student Body

Undergraduate vs. graduate students

Undergraduate: 14
Graduate: 1,051

Full-time vs. part-time students

Full-time: 886
Part-time: 179

Students by race/ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino: 1
Black or African American: 2
White: 5
Asian: 3
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 1
Unknown: 2

Data last updated on November 5, 2026

Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026

Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.

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