SAN MARCOS — Palomar College was ranked 17th out of hundreds of colleges and universities in the state of California by the website EDsmart.org, according to an article posted to the site in late May.

The article, “21 Best Colleges & Universities in California,” compiled data from the National Center for Education Statistics and College Scorecard for some 278 four-year, degree-granting institutions and 247 2-year junior or community colleges in the state.

According to EDsmart.org, the ranking was based on four factors:

• Affordability
• Student satisfaction, based on retention rates
• Academic quality, based on graduation rates
• Salary after attending

“Palomar College has always been committed to student success, and our faculty and staff work hard to provide top-notch instruction and services,” said Interim Superintendent/President Dr. Jack Kahn. “Congratulations to the Palomar College community on this achievement.”