After earning credits or a two-year degree, many students find that community college provides a high-quality education at a reasonable cost, which helps them find employment or transfer to a larger institution.
For the majority of Texas graduates, that has been the case. According to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board data, within a year of completing their studies, at least 85 to 90 percent of the state’s community college graduates have either obtained employment or enrolled in another Texas college throughout the last ten years.
Not all Texas community colleges have the same success rate, despite the data showing encouraging trends throughout the state. Furthermore, within six years of starting, somewhat fewer than half of students in the Houston region who are seeking a credential—such as an associate’s degree, certificate, or credits that they can transfer to another institution—graduate with one.
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The local statistics show that graduates from the three most well-known community colleges in the Houston area—Houston Community College, Lone Star College, and San Jacinto College—transfer to other institutions or find employment at a rate that is comparable to the state average.
About 40 to 45 percent of graduates from all three schools are employed and no longer enrolled in classes. Approximately 25% of graduates continue their education while working. Additionally, between 15 and 20 percent of them are enrolled in classes at another Texas college because they are not employed.
That might indicate a number of reasons for the roughly 10 to 15 percent of graduates who aren’t officially employed or enrolled. For instance, the graduate may have relocated out of state, be self-employed, or be unemployed.
Throughout the state: Use our database to find out how other Texas community colleges stack up against Houston’s biggest institutions.
Ninety-seven percent of recent graduates found employment or enrolled within a year at two of the most successful community institutions in Texas: Alvin Community College in Brazoria County and Cisco College near Abilene. For graduates of the Howard College for the Deaf in west Texas, the percentage falls to 57% at the bottom of the list.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board verifies whether community college graduates are enrolled in Texas higher education institutions or specific out-of-state schools by the following fall semester in order to gather this data.
The board uses wage records from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Texas Workforce Commission to track students for employment.
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Learning Curve: Most Texas community college graduates find work or transfer schools
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