Learning Curve: Most Texas community college graduates find work or transfer schools

For many students, community college offers a quality education at an affordable price, helping them net a job or transfer to a larger school after receiving credits or a two-year degree.

That’s been true for most Texas graduates. For the past decade, at least 85 to 90 percent of the state’s community college graduates have found work or enrolled in another Texas college within a year of finishing classes, according to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board data.

While the data points to positive trends in the state, not all Texas community colleges have the same success rate. And in the Houston area, slightly less than half of students looking for a credential — such as an associate’s degree, certificate or credits for transfer to another school — graduate with one within six years of enrolling.

The local numbers: Graduates from the Houston area’s three most-popular community colleges — Houston Community College, Lone Star College and San Jacinto College — transfer to other schools or find work at a roughly the same rate as the state average.

At all three schools, roughly 40 to 45 percent of graduates have a job and aren’t taking classes anymore. About one-quarter of graduates are working and still taking classes at another college. And about 15 to 20 percent are enrolled in classes at another Texas institution while not working.

For the roughly 10 to 15 percent of graduates who aren’t confirmed as working or enrolled, that could mean several things. The graduate might be unemployed, self-employed or moved out of state, for example.

Across the state: To see how other community colleges in Texas compare to Houston’s largest schools, search our database.

At two of the Texas community colleges with the highest rates, Cisco College near Abilene and Alvin Community College in Brazoria County, 97 percent of recent graduates found work or enrolled within a year. At the bottom of the list, the percentage drops to 57 percent for graduates from the Howard College for the Deaf in west Texas.

The data source: To obtain this data, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board checks if community college graduates are enrolled in a Texas higher education institution or certain out-of-state institutions by the next fall semester. 

For employment, the board tracks students through the Texas Workforce Commission and U.S. Office of Personnel Management wage records.

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