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.
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.
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/.
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