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Lee College

Public Baytown, TX · Urban · Southwest · 87% data
A Social Mobility A- Value A- Affordability
Graduation Rate
31% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$42,178 C
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$6,879 A-
60% less than the typical college
Enrollment
5,116
Earnings +3% vs avg
Graduation -45% vs avg
Net Price +-60% vs avg
Mobility Top 9%

Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 35.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $35.5 over 20 years.

35.5× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $35.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $948,306.

What The Data Says

  1. A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 31% — 45% below the national average.

  3. Social mobility rate of 3.13% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $35.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Lee College Matters

Lee College is a public college in Baytown, TX and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
5,116
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Humanities, Precision Production, Culinary & Personal Services

Why students choose Lee College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Engine of upward mobility
A strong record of moving students up the income ladder
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

B-
Top 31% overall
C
Earnings
$42,178 median
A-
Value
6.1× net price
A-
Affordability
$6,879/yr net
F
Graduation
31% graduate
A
Social Mobility
3.1% climb Q1→Q5
B-
Diversity
0.66 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With an enrollment of about 5,100 students, Lee College appeals to those seeking a practical and focused education. It's particularly well-suited for individuals interested in fields like Business & Marketing, Humanities, and various technical programs such as Culinary Arts and Mechanic & Repair Technology. The college’s commitment to hands-on training allows students to gain skills that are directly applicable in the workforce.

When it comes to life after graduation, the numbers tell a promising story. Graduates from Lee College can expect to earn around $42,178 a decade after finishing their studies. This can be quite motivating for students who are looking to enter the job market quickly. While the graduation rate sits at 31%, many students are still finding their way to success in their chosen fields, enabled by the practical education they receive.

On the financial side, Lee College stands out for its affordability. The net price after financial aid averages about $6,879, making it accessible for many. With a median debt of $7,500, graduates are coming out of school with a manageable financial burden. This combination of low costs and targeted programs tends to attract students who are eager to jump into their careers without excessive debt weighing them down.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Lee College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Lee College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Lee College, located in Baytown, Texas, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

Retention Rate
73%
Full-Time Faculty
41%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$8,145
Student–Faculty Ratio
13:1
Diversity Index
0.66
First-Gen Students
55%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Lee College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Lee College is $5,190, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,879. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,192 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$2,520
Out-of-State
$5,190
Avg Net Price
$6,879
Median Debt
$7,500
Pell Grant Rate
35%
Federal Loan Rate
5%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$7,192
Family Income $30K–$48K
$4,434
Family Income $48K–$75K
$6,522
Family Income $110K+
$8,070

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Lee College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Lee College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Lee College report median earnings of $42,178, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$37,219
8 Years
$37,694
10 Years
$42,178
Debt-to-Earnings
0.18x
Earning > $25K
54%

Earnings Trajectory

$37,219 6yr $37,694 8yr $42,178 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (129)
33%
100% (129)
33%
100% (129)
33%
100% (129)
33%

How Lee Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation31%Earnings 10yr$42KNet Price$7KRetention73%Median Debt$8KPell Grant Rate35%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$7K$0-30K$4K$30-48K$7K$48-75K$8K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%16.4%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%19.1%MOBILITY3.13%

College ROI Calculator

Is Lee College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Lee College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $6,879/year ($27,516 total). Graduates earn $42,178 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $975,822 in total earnings — a net gain of $948,306 (35.5× your investment). The median debt is $7,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 31% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$27,516
Projected 20yr Earnings
$975,822
Net Return
$948,306
ROI Multiple
35.5×
Cost Per Year
$6,879
Median Debt
$7,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
31%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Lee College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Lee College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 3.13%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 16.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $63,300, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
3.13%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
19.1%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
16.4%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$86,003
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Lee College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Lee College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.21, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.21
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.03
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
4.7%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$385,292
Investment Income
$234,597

Top Programs

The fields Lee College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Lee College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Lee College, located in Baytown, Texas, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Lee College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Lee College is $5,190, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,879. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,192 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,500 in federal student loans.

Is Lee College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Lee College report median earnings of $42,178, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Lee College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Lee College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 3.13%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 16.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $63,300, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Lee College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Lee College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.21, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Lee College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys