While community colleges are known for being affordable, student loan debt is still a reality for many students.
On average, roughly 19 percent of last year’s graduates across the nine community colleges in the Houston region had student debt, totaling an average of $14,200.
Houston-area community colleges regularly charge students thousands of dollars each year to attend the institutions, state data shows, with price tags at some colleges reaching nearly $4,000 per year. Although the rates are far less than those of four-year universities, and many community colleges are discussing how they can make school even cheaper following a boost in state funding, some students still must turn to student loans to get through.
Which colleges have the most students graduating with debt, and how heavily does it weigh on them post-grad? Here’s what the data shows.
How much debt do community college students take on?
In 2024, a relatively small share of students in the Houston region graduated from community college with at least some student loan debt.
Wharton County Community College students graduated the highest share of students with debt, with Houston Community College claiming the second-highest share.
Why are community college students in debt?
The average full-time community college student will still cough up several thousands dollars in tuition and fees each year — more than many can pay out of pocket.
In the Houston region, the average student who takes 30 semester credit hours each year — considered a regular full-time course load — will pay between $1,770 and $3,570 for their instruction alone.
In addition to paying for tuition, students also often take out loans to cover other expenses, such as books, technology, course materials and even living expenses like housing, food and transportation.
For example, Houston Community College students spend an average of $2,250 on books each year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Full-time students are also more likely to take out loans, as their courseload leaves less time for work.
How much debt are students in?
When students graduate from community college in Houston, their student debt will make up a smaller portion of their wages than they would if they graduated from a university. Many factors can go into that ratio, including how much debt students take on and the jobs they’re able to notch once they graduate from college.
The data below shows how graduates’ debt compares to the wages they earned in the first year after they graduated in 2019, the most recent year with available data). The figures only include students who have loans and exclude those who don’t.
Brazosport College in Lake Jackson has the lowest ratio at 18 percent. Houston Community College’s debt was the highest, scraping 50 percent of the median graduate’s pay after graduating.
By comparison, debt was 56 percent of the median Texas four-year university graduate’s first-year wage in the same year.
Cutting down on debt
After Texas switched to a new funding system, many colleges are eyeing how they can make the cost of two-year institutions even more affordable for students and cut down on the dollars students have to borrow.
For example, Austin Community College and Del Mar College have used their increase in state funding to pilot programs that waive tuition costs.
Locally, Houston Community College has recently eyed ways to beef up tuition assistance programs, such as offering more money to students over 25, and decrease tuition for out-of-district students, who pay higher rates.
Miranda Dunlap covers Houston’s community colleges in partnership with Open Campus. Despite roughly half of Houston’s higher-education students attending community colleges, there hasn’t been much news covering these systems or students — until now. Her reporting holds institutions accountable, highlights barriers faced by students and helps them navigate their opportunities. Reach Miranda at miranda@houstonlanding.org or on Twitter and Instagram.
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