# Most Affordable Colleges in Texas

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 50 | Category: By State (Affordable)
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/most-affordable-colleges-texas

## Methodology

Ranked by lowest net price in Texas

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Summary

Finding a college that fits your budget is crucial for many students and families. The most affordable colleges in Texas offer pathways to a degree without the burden of overwhelming debt. With net prices as low as $1,655, these institutions are worth considering for anyone looking to minimize their educational expenses.

These schools stand out not just for their low costs, but also for their outcomes. The average earnings for graduates from these colleges reach about $41,251, with graduation rates averaging 33%. The data here highlights not just affordability, but also the potential return on investment and the importance of completing a degree.

For example, Texas A & M International University has a net price of $3,637, with average earnings of $48,386 and a graduation rate of 48%. In contrast, Lamar State College-Orange offers a much lower net price of $1,655 but a lower graduation rate of 34% and average earnings of $36,587. This illustrates how different schools can deliver varying benefits despite similar affordability, making it essential to weigh these factors carefully.

## Key Findings

- Texas A & M International University graduates earn an average of $48,386.
- Lamar State College-Orange has the lowest net price at $1,655.
- The average graduation rate across these schools is just 33%.
- Lamar State College-Port Arthur has a graduation rate of 38%, higher than Victoria College at 27%.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Texas A & M International University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/texas-a-m-international-university) | Laredo, TX | 48% | $48,386 | $3,637 | $15,000 | 0.31x |
| 2 | [Lamar State College-Orange](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lamar-state-college-orange) | Orange, TX | 34% | $36,587 | $1,655 | $10,959 | 0.3x |
| 3 | [Victoria College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/victoria-college) | Victoria, TX | 27% | $42,382 | $3,043 | $10,500 | 0.25x |
| 4 | [El Paso Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/el-paso-community-college) | El Paso, TX | 23% | $35,212 | $3,206 | $6,566 | 0.19x |
| 5 | [College of the Mainland](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-the-mainland) | Texas City, TX | 30% | $39,639 | $1,342 | $5,960 | 0.15x |
| 6 | [The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley) | Edinburg, TX | 50% | $49,620 | $4,831 | $12,950 | 0.26x |
| 7 | [Lamar State College-Port Arthur](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lamar-state-college-port-arthur) | Port Arthur, TX | 38% | $37,120 | $2,846 | $13,250 | 0.36x |
| 8 | [Western Texas College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/western-texas-college) | Snyder, TX | 56% | $42,508 | $3,562 | $7,515 | 0.18x |
| 9 | [Tarrant County College District](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tarrant-county-college-district) | Fort Worth, TX | 29% | $42,727 | $4,337 | $9,104 | 0.21x |
| 10 | [Texas Southmost College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/texas-southmost-college) | Brownsville, TX | 28% | $41,900 | $3,085 | $9,000 | 0.21x |
| 11 | [Dallas College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/dallas-college) | Dallas, TX | 34% | $41,714 | $3,214 | $9,500 | 0.23x |
| 12 | [Amarillo College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/amarillo-college) | Amarillo, TX | 31% | $41,302 | $4,600 | $15,000 | 0.36x |
| 13 | [Wharton County Junior College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wharton-county-junior-college) | Wharton, TX | 24% | $44,960 | $4,666 | $7,703 | 0.17x |
| 14 | [Panola College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/panola-college) | Carthage, TX | 42% | $36,072 | $5,216 | $10,500 | 0.29x |
| 15 | [McLennan Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mclennan-community-college) | Waco, TX | 37% | $39,163 | $5,051 | $10,500 | 0.27x |
| 16 | [South Texas College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/south-texas-college) | McAllen, TX | 27% | $36,788 | $1,751 | N/A | N/A |
| 17 | [Kilgore College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/kilgore-college) | Kilgore, TX | 36% | $37,975 | $5,364 | $14,967 | 0.39x |
| 18 | [Trinity Valley Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/trinity-valley-community-college) | Athens, TX | 26% | $38,567 | $4,092 | $10,426 | 0.27x |
| 19 | [Ranger College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/ranger-college) | Ranger, TX | 27% | $35,552 | $6,182 | $9,500 | 0.27x |
| 20 | [Midland College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/midland-college) | Midland, TX | 20% | $43,958 | $4,512 | $10,670 | 0.24x |
| 21 | [San Antonio College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/san-antonio-college) | San Antonio, TX | 24% | $39,711 | $4,585 | $10,500 | 0.26x |
| 22 | [Odessa College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/odessa-college) | Odessa, TX | 32% | $42,026 | $6,368 | $7,750 | 0.18x |
| 23 | [Brazosport College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/brazosport-college) | Lake Jackson, TX | 47% | $45,910 | $4,732 | $5,641 | 0.12x |
| 24 | [North Central Texas College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/north-central-texas-college) | Gainesville, TX | 35% | $45,809 | $6,587 | $11,250 | 0.25x |
| 25 | [Vernon College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/vernon-college) | Vernon, TX | 20% | $40,464 | $6,404 | $11,000 | 0.27x |
| 26 | [South Plains College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/south-plains-college) | Levelland, TX | 27% | $41,276 | $6,791 | $10,500 | 0.25x |
| 27 | [Northeast Texas Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northeast-texas-community-college) | Mount Pleasant, TX | 46% | $37,870 | $6,706 | $10,946 | 0.29x |
| 28 | [Grayson College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/grayson-college) | Denison, TX | 27% | $40,873 | $5,880 | $12,250 | 0.3x |
| 29 | [Lee College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lee-college) | Baytown, TX | 31% | $42,178 | $6,879 | $7,500 | 0.18x |
| 30 | [Lamar University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lamar-university) | Beaumont, TX | 37% | $49,652 | $9,366 | $21,250 | 0.43x |
| 31 | [The University of Texas at El Paso](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-el-paso) | El Paso, TX | 48% | $50,923 | $9,403 | $18,000 | 0.35x |
| 32 | [St Philip's College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/st-philips-college) | San Antonio, TX | 28% | $38,224 | $4,273 | $9,500 | 0.25x |
| 33 | [Howard College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/howard-college) | Big Spring, TX | 35% | $38,382 | $6,147 | $9,500 | 0.25x |
| 34 | [Southwest Texas College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/southwest-texas-college) | Uvalde, TX | 32% | $35,563 | $7,372 | $6,200 | 0.17x |
| 35 | [Palo Alto College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/palo-alto-college) | San Antonio, TX | 33% | $37,448 | $4,463 | $13,393 | 0.36x |
| 36 | [Northwest Vista College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northwest-vista-college) | San Antonio, TX | 32% | $42,490 | $4,525 | $9,400 | 0.22x |
| 37 | [Hill College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/hill-college) | Hillsboro, TX | 30% | $39,572 | $7,577 | $10,000 | 0.25x |
| 38 | [Houston Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/houston-community-college) | Houston, TX | 17% | $39,254 | $5,737 | $13,921 | 0.35x |
| 39 | [Paris Junior College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/paris-junior-college) | Paris, TX | 37% | $36,515 | $7,690 | $5,342 | 0.15x |
| 40 | [Wiley University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wiley-university) | Marshall, TX | 22% | $33,159 | $7,092 | $24,989 | 0.75x |
| 41 | [University of Houston-Victoria](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-houston-victoria) | Victoria, TX | 26% | $54,467 | $8,109 | $18,973 | 0.35x |
| 42 | [Clarendon College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/clarendon-college) | Clarendon, TX | 51% | $38,696 | $8,390 | $11,000 | 0.28x |
| 43 | [Austin Community College District](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/austin-community-college-district) | Austin, TX | 19% | $43,177 | $6,390 | $10,499 | 0.24x |
| 44 | [Frank Phillips College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/frank-phillips-college) | Borger, TX | 39% | $37,179 | $7,953 | $9,500 | 0.26x |
| 45 | [Laredo College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/laredo-college) | Laredo, TX | 30% | $33,934 | $5,798 | $2,959 | 0.09x |
| 46 | [The University of Texas at San Antonio](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio) | San Antonio, TX | 52% | $57,131 | $10,836 | $20,500 | 0.36x |
| 47 | [Texarkana College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/texarkana-college) | Texarkana, TX | 41% | $34,647 | $8,812 | $10,500 | 0.3x |
| 48 | [Cisco College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cisco-college) | Cisco, TX | 30% | $39,092 | $9,624 | $9,500 | 0.24x |
| 49 | [University of Houston-Downtown](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-houston-downtown) | Houston, TX | 33% | $53,551 | $10,542 | $18,750 | 0.35x |
| 50 | [University of North Texas at Dallas](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-north-texas-at-dallas) | Dallas, TX | 43% | N/A | $6,420 | $18,606 | N/A |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Most Affordable Colleges in Texas." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/most-affordable-colleges-texas

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.