Houston Community College

About Houston Community College

Houston Community College is a public community college located in Houston, Texas. The institution is classified by the U.S. Department of Education as predominantly an associate-degree-granting two-year college, the federal definition that anchors this site's index of community colleges nationwide. Like other two-year colleges in Texas, it primarily serves local residents who are pursuing an occupational credential, an associate degree, or transfer-eligible general-education credit toward a bachelor's degree.

36% of undergraduates received a federal Pell Grant in the most recent reporting year — a useful proxy for the share of the student body from lower-income households. Median federal student-loan debt at completion was $13,921, well below national averages for four-year institutions. Tuition and aid are reported here as published rates from the College Scorecard; the price you actually pay can be considerably lower once you file the FAFSA and your eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid is calculated. For most community-college students, the realistic out-of-pocket cost after Pell and state grants is a small fraction of the published tuition.

Outcomes

Houston Community College did not report a transfer rate to the College Scorecard in the most recent reporting cycle. Ask the admissions office directly for the share of full-time first-time entrants who continued at a four-year institution. Completion data was not reported for the latest cycle. Median earnings of former students ten years after first enrollment, as matched against federal tax records, were $39,254. This figure includes graduates, transfers, and non-completers, so treat it as a directional indicator of post-college outcomes rather than a starting-salary projection.

Largest program areas

The federal classification of instructional programs reports the share of degrees and certificates each college awards by field. At Houston Community College the highest-enrollment areas are listed below in descending order by share of credentials awarded, with each linking to a plain-English program guide.

• Liberal Arts & Humanities — Broad transfer-oriented general education preparing students for a four-year degree. (24% of credentials awarded)
• Business & Marketing — Associate degrees and certificates in accounting, management, marketing, and entrepreneurship. (19% of credentials awarded)
• Health Sciences & Nursing — Two-year nursing, allied health, and medical assisting programs that lead directly to in-demand clinical careers. (11% of credentials awarded)
• Computer & Information Sciences — Programming, networking, cybersecurity, and IT support pathways with high transfer demand. (5% of credentials awarded)
• Culinary Arts & Personal Services — Culinary, baking, hospitality, and cosmetology programs with strong placement records. (4% of credentials awarded)
• Visual & Performing Arts — Studio, design, music, theatre, and film tracks emphasizing portfolio readiness. (2% of credentials awarded)

Is Houston Community College the right fit?

Use the lists in the sidebar to compare against neighboring community colleges in Texas on the metrics that matter for your situation. Students aiming to transfer should weigh transfer rate, completion rate, and the strength of articulation agreements with the four-year institutions they plan to apply to. Students pursuing a terminal credential should weigh program availability and the local employment market for that field, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook as a national reference and the state workforce agency for Texas for regional wages and openings.

The data on this page is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which is updated annually from IPEDS reporting and federal financial-aid records. DegreeMapper reformats and cross-links that data; we do not collect it ourselves and we are not affiliated with Houston Community College or with any government agency.