Texas Colleges Summary

Students exploring colleges in the Lone Star State can find hundreds of schools to choose from. Public four-year universities in Texas include Texas A&M University and the University of Texas system. Texas A&M is a flagship research intensive university, with 10 campuses (including one overseas) and ranks among the nation's five largest universities. The University of Texas, also one of the largest college systems in the U.S., is comprised of eight academic colleges and six health institutions. There are also nearly a dozen community colleges in Texas.

Private colleges in Texas are also plentiful. There are 55 private four-year colleges, including Rice University, an all-women's college and leading research institution consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. More than 250 private two-year colleges offer programs in technology, business, beauty, health careers, and more.

Online Education in Texas

As of 2016, there were 642,670 students enrolled in distance education courses at Texas colleges and universities. Texas colleges offer hundreds of online degrees and certificates, as do local consortia such as the UT Online Consortium and the Virtual College of Texas. The state participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), making it easier for students to take online courses offered by colleges based in another state.

Higher Education Initiatives in Texas

More than 160 Texas high schools participate in the dual-credit "Early College High School" program, which allows students to take college courses for college credit, while meeting high school graduation requirements.

For more information about the Texas Education Agency, see: https://tea.texas.gov/.

Sources:

  • The Texas Education Agency, Accessed April 2018, https://tea.texas.gov/
  • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Accessed April 2018, http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/
  • National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator, Accessed April 2018, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
  • The University of Texas System, Accessed April 2018, http://www.txhighereddata.org/Interactive/Institutions.cfm
  • Texas A&M University, Accessed April 2018, https://www.tamu.edu/
  • Rice University, Accessed April 2018, http://www.rice.edu/about.shtml
Education Institutes in Texas
Total Number of Educational Institutes
428
Total Enrollment in all institutes
1,669,778
Number of Public Educational Institutes
116
Number of Private For-Profit Institutes
229
Number of Private Non-Profit Institutes
80
Graduation Rate
10.57%
Total Graduates With Bachelors Degree
50,059
On Campus and Online Programs in Texas
Number of Institutes Offering on-campus programs
3
Number of Institutes Offering on-line programs
21
Number of Institutes Offering both
404

Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2018-19, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/