Best Community Colleges in Texas 2023

Best Community Colleges in Texas 2023

The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Texas offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.

10 Best Community Colleges in Texas

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Key Takeaways

  • Texas has an amazing lineup of community colleges. Many students in this state prefer to study on this path to achieve their desired careers. The community college system of Texas currently serves more than 720,000 students.
  • Not everyone knows how great community colleges are when transitioning from college to work. Students can earn their short-term educational certificate or associate degree in just two years.
  • Texas has partnered with different companies and businesses to provide students an instant route toward professional jobs (entry-level).

Community Colleges: Producing The Most Educated and Skilled Texans

In Texas, community colleges offer two-year associate degrees in high-demand areas like education and training, business administration, science and technology, and healthcare.

Texas also offers unique educational initiatives like development education, adult education and literacy programs, dual credit, and other short-term programs and guided pathways, all leading to entry-level professional jobs.

Because Texas has so many four-year colleges and universities, why do many students still prefer to attend a community college? What advantages and benefits do students get from enrolling in a two-year degree program?

The Benefits of Attending a Community College

Two-year community colleges provide an efficient alternative to conventional four-year colleges and universities. Many community colleges provide flexibility regarding the content and structure of the course schedule.

This is a great advantage for non-traditional students working in full or part-time positions and traditional enrollees seeking post-secondary education. Consider the benefits of enrolling in a community college to assess if this is the right educational path for you.

Cost of Tuition: Community colleges have lower tuition costs than traditional four-year colleges or universities. A lot of these types of colleges have reduced rates for in-state students, which results in a more affordable post-secondary education program. Some community colleges also offer reduced-cost certification programs compared to two-year and four-year degree programs.

Great Financial Aid Options: Aside from the low tuition costs, community colleges have financial aid incentives for eligible students who need help paying for their college tuition. Some aid also covers the cost of materials and even housing and transportation. Students can apply, too, for student loan programs, special grant programs, and academic transfer programs that usually come with lower interest rates than the usual student loans.

Greater Flexibility: When you attend a community college, you can explore higher education at your own pace. This is specifically true for those who are not yet sure what they want to major in or those who believe college is not even an affordable choice for them.

Many junior colleges also offer part-time academic coursework to allow students to attend their college classes a few days each week while still working a full-time or part-time job.

The flexibility offered at a community college also provides a better school-life balance. Students get the chance to build their schedules around their personal lives, resulting in a healthier life balance.

Trade and Vocational Focus: Most, if not all, community colleges offer vocational training programs on top of their associate degree programs. Students who want to pursue trades in health care, technology, engineering, and other vocations, can enroll in specifically designed courses that prepare them for a career.

Most of these vocational courses include programs where they can earn professional certifications in a shorter time than the established four-year degrees.

STEM Education Opportunities

Community colleges offer STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) associate degree programs that will lead to careers in-demand by many employers. With a solid ground on STEM subjects, you can solve problems, conduct research, or develop new ideas seamlessly.

Earning a two-year associate degree will help you get started quickly in your STEM-related career. Many junior colleges partner with local businesses and industries to promote job placement with your new degree. This makes it easier for you to secure a job after completing your associate’s degree program.

Ability to Transfer Credits

While community colleges do not offer four-year degree programs, they have admissions agreements with state and public colleges that allow students to transfer their credits if they want to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Provided that the students meet the school’s requirements, they can transfer to a university or college of their choice to complete their bachelor’s program after they earn their two-year associate’s degree at a community college.

Colleges and Universities in Texas

Texas offers more than 30 colleges and universities that serve communities of 10,000 students or more. The largest school in the bunch (and in the nation), Texas A&M University in College Station serves more than 65,000 students. The University of Texas at Austin is the next largest, serving about 45,000 students - but it too has a big claim to fame, as the wealthiest public university in the United States. Texas’s private colleges and universities, including Baylor University and Southern Methodist University, are also impressive in size and scope. The majority of these schools have religious affiliations and offer degrees in a variety fields, such as nursing, religious studies, criminal justice, business, and education.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

For students who prefer a more intimate educational environment, Texas offers a long list of smaller public and private colleges and universities, such as Abilene Christian University and University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Additionally, Texas has generous loan forgiveness programs for qualifying nurses, physicians, teachers, legal aid attorneys, and lawyers who work in the Texas Attorney General’s office.

Texas is known for doing things big. Big cities, big open spaces and, of course, big fun. Whether you’re hitting up the live music scene in Austin, catching a Cowboys game in Dallas, or strolling down the River Walk in San Antonio, you’re sure to have a good time. And, with more than 150 higher education institutes, it’s safe to say The Lone Star State is big on education too.

If you’re looking to earn your degree in the state of Texas, you’ll have plenty of higher learning institutes to choose from.


What are Texas’s Colleges & Universities?

Texas’s Best Overall

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We’ve identified 53 community colleges in Texas. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Texas.

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Best Community Colleges in Texas

  1. #1

    Lone Star College System

    The Woodlands , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    18%

    Student body

    48K

    What is Lone Star College System known for?

    Lone Star College System’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  2. #2

    Collin College

    McKinney , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    16%

    Student body

    22K

    What is Collin College known for?

    Collin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  3. #6

    San Antonio College

    San Antonio , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Graduation

    26%

    Student body

    10K

  4. #7

    Weatherford College

    Weatherford , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    19%

    Student body

    4K

    What is Weatherford College known for?

    Weatherford College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  5. #9

    Angelina College

    Lufkin , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    14%

    Student body

    3K

    What is Angelina College known for?

    Angelina College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  6. #10

    Lee College

    Baytown , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    44%

    Student body

    5K

  7. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    17%

    Student body

    31K

    What is Houston Community College known for?

    Houston Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  8. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    24%

    Student body

    4K

    What is Alvin Community College known for?

    Alvin Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  9. #14

    College of the Mainland

    Texas City , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    28%

    Student body

    3K

    What is College of the Mainland known for?

    College of the Mainland’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  10. #15

    Tarrant County College

    Fort Worth , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    20%

    Student body

    31K

  11. #16

    Central Texas College

    Killeen , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    18%

    Student body

    7K

    What is Central Texas College known for?

    Central Texas College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  12. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    20%

    Student body

    4K

    What is Wharton County Junior College known for?

    Wharton County Junior College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  13. #18

    Amarillo College

    Amarillo , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    28%

    Student body

    6K

  14. #19

    Galveston College

    Galveston , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    41%

    Student body

    2K

    What is Galveston College known for?

    Galveston College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  15. #20

    Victoria College

    Victoria , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    21%

    Student body

    2K

    What is Victoria College known for?

    Victoria College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  16. #21

    Del Mar College

    Corpus Christi , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    13%

    Student body

    5K

    What is Del Mar College known for?

    Del Mar College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  17. #22

    Ranger College

    Ranger , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    35%

    Student body

    2K

    What is Ranger College known for?

    Ranger College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  18. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    34%

    Student body

    3K

    What is Paris Junior College known for?

    Paris Junior College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  19. #24

    Temple College

    Temple , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    15%

    Student body

    4K

    What is Temple College known for?

    Temple College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  20. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    21%

    Student body

    15K

    What is El Paso Community College known for?

    El Paso Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  21. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    27%

    Student body

    5K

  22. #27

    North Central Texas College

    Gainesville , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    21%

    Student body

    5K

    What is North Central Texas College known for?

    North Central Texas College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  23. #28

    Western Texas College

    Snyder , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    49%

    Student body

    1K

    What is Western Texas College known for?

    Western Texas College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  24. Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Graduation

    9%

    Student body

    24K

    What is Austin Community College District known for?

    Austin Community College District’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  25. #30

    Odessa College

    Odessa , TX

    Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    30%

    Student body

    4K

    What is Odessa College known for?

    Odessa College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

  1. Lamar Institute of Technology
  2. Lamar State College–Port Arthur
  3. Trinity Valley Community College
  4. Galveston College
  5. Paris Junior College
  6. Northeast Texas Community College
  7. Navarro College
  8. Panola College
  9. Grayson College
  10. Kilgore College
  11. Lee College
  12. College of the Mainland
  13. Ranger College
  14. Collin College
  15. Texarkana College
  16. Amarillo College
  17. Austin Community College District
  18. Odessa College
  19. Del Mar College
  20. San Antonio College
  21. El Paso Community College
  22. Central Texas College
  23. St. Philip's College
  24. Palo Alto College
  25. Hill College