Austin Colleges, Universities, Trade and Vocational Schools

Colleges in Austin: Universities, Trade and Technical Schools

Known for a lively music scene, innovative offerings at unique restaurants and the South by Southwest event, Austin lives up to its unofficial slogan of "Keep Things Weird." But it's also a haven for those who want to grow promising careers, one of the reasons Forbes magazine named Austin second among cities with the fastest-growing economy in 2018.

To help those aspiring professionals achieve their goals, higher education opportunities abound. Austin colleges and universities serve hundreds of thousands of residents every year, providing many potential paths of study and awarding everything from certificates to doctoral degrees.

Fun Facts about Trade and Technical Schools in Austin

Students looking to hone their skills in a new trade or technical area can turn to a variety of vocational colleges in Austin. Some small, independent schools focus on one particular area, such as the College of Health Care Professions, Austin Medical Assistant School or the Southern Careers Institute. Others are wide-reaching and focus on a variety of options, including degrees and diplomas in areas such as business, nursing, healthcare and more.

The Austin Community College District enrolls 70,000 students across eleven campuses, ten areas of study and more than 100 program options. Known as the home of the Riverbat, the quirky official mascot, ACC serves as a valuable connection to businesses, the community at large and the many Austin colleges and universities that welcome transfer students who started their educational career at ACC.

Fun Facts about Austin Colleges and Universities

Numerous higher education institutions call Austin home; the most well-known of these is the University of Texas at Austin, colloquially known as UT Austin. Founded in 1883 and now home to 18 full-fledged colleges and schools, the university has an enrollment of well over 50,000 students. The area is also home to smaller colleges, such as St. Edward's University, where the almost 5,000 enrolled students can choose from over 60 undergraduate and graduate degrees. Another popular school in the area is Huston-Tillotson University, a historically black college founded in 1952.

Graduate Schools in Austin

Universities in Austin offer a wealth of graduate programs. For instance, UT Austin is home to a whopping 237 graduate programs, including certificates, master's, professional and doctoral degrees. The University of Texas School of Law in Austin prepares legal students for their juris doctor, while the Dell Medical School is available for budding healthcare professionals. Colleges in Austin also includes smaller graduate schools, such as Seminary of the Southwest, which provides a variety of degrees and diplomas in theology.

For more information about higher education in the state, view the Texas Colleges page. 

Sources

• Austin Community College District, About ACC, http://www.austincc.edu/about-acc, accessed September 2018
• Huston-Tillotson University, About HT, http://htu.edu/about, accessed September 2018
• Seminary of the Southwest, Academics, https://ssw.edu/academics/degrees-and-diplomas/, accessed September 2018
• St. Edward's University, Facts and Awards, https://www.stedwards.edu/about-st-edwards-university/facts-awards, accessed September 2018
• "The Ten Big Cities with the Fastest-Growing (and Slowest-Growing) Economies," Forbes, Karsten Strauss, January 3, 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2018/01/03/the-10-big-u-s-cities-with-the-fastest-growing-and-slowest-growing-economies/#540fcc0c4734
• The University of Texas at Austin, Facts and Figures, https://www.utexas.edu/about/facts-and-figures, accessed September 2018