Houston community colleges serve students pursuing many unique academic paths that ultimately lead to a few destinations.
Community colleges offer several kinds of awards that students have their sights on when they enroll: associate degrees, technical and workforce certificates, and, increasingly, four-year bachelor’s degrees.
Most students who complete classes at Houston’s community colleges leave with an associate degree, but certificates also make up a sizable chunk of awards given each year.
Degrees dominate: Associate degrees are the most popular choice by far for Houston’s community college students. Such degrees are marketed as two-year programs that guide students toward a career or bachelor’s degree program. However, the average student in Texas takes roughly four years to complete an associate degree.
Students most often complete Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science degrees, which typically are geared toward transferring credits to a four-year institution and earning a bachelor’s degree.
Zooming in: San Jacinto College awards more certificates than its neighbors, Houston Community College and Lone Star College, despite enrolling fewer students. The college offers roughly 120 workforce and technical certificates, with high numbers of students enrolling in welding, pharmacy technician and cosmetology certification programs.
In a fall 2024 survey, 13 percent of SJC students said their goal in enrolling was to improve job skills, seek personal enrichment or earn a certificate.
What’s next? Students often use community colleges as a launching pad to attending a four-year university down the line. Students are not required to complete a degree or certificate before transferring.
The chart below shows the number of first-time college students at each local community college who transferred to a four-year institution within six years of enrolling.
Watch this trend: State legislators gave community colleges approval to introduce bachelor’s degree programs in 2017.
In the years since, Houston’s large colleges have rolled out several four-year programs. As the first students who enrolled in the program graduate in the coming years, the number of bachelor’s degree recipients will rise — but it likely won’t boom, as colleges currently are limited to five programs each.
Miranda Dunlap covers Houston’s community colleges in partnership with Open Campus. Despite roughly half of Houston’s higher-education students attending community colleges, there hasn’t been much news covering these systems or students — until now. Her reporting holds institutions accountable, highlights barriers faced by students and helps them navigate their opportunities. Reach Miranda at miranda@houstonlanding.org or on Twitter and Instagram.
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