Higher Education Outcome Report · South

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Texas Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 175 degree-granting institutions graded

Texas's higher education system is a above-average mobility system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $50,360, -2% vs the national median.

energy
technology
healthcare & aerospace

388
INSTITUTIONS: $50,360
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▼ -2% vs natl; $15,839
AVG NET PRICE: 102 / 76
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

55/100 · #23 of 50

Texas At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

175

1,127,787 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~126,563

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
38th pct

$46,318

31st of 50 states
Mobility Score
83rd pct

2.3%

8th of 46 states
Talent Retention
10th pct

67%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
70th pct

3.2x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Humanities
Business
Healthcare

Executive Summary

Texas graduates earn a median of $46,318 a decade after entry, 5% below the national state average, ranking 31st of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 2.3% rate, in the 83rd percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Humanities and Business, which together account for 39% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $56,125, +8.8% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 18.8% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Texas returns 3.2x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

-6.8%

Median graduate earnings in Texas are below the national average by 7%.
Cost vs National

-2.2%

Net price in Texas is lower than the national average by 2%.
Mobility Rate

+0.64pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.6 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

-1.2pp

Texas's graduation rate is 1.2 percentage points below the national average.
Best Value

58.4x

Top value school: College of Biblical Studies-Houston ($39,260 earnings vs $672 net price).
Top Mobility School

6.9%

Highest mobility rate: South Texas College at 6.9%.

Education Output Profile

Humanities (21% of graduates) and Business (18% of graduates) dominate Texas's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $41,507.

Humanities

21%

$41,507 avg
Business

18%

$48,932 avg
Healthcare

15%

$59,959 avg
Technology

8%

$48,487 avg
Social Sciences

8%

$54,540 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 12

Outcome Performance

Texas's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Construction Trades), where graduates average $41,109 against a net cost of $6,578, a 6.2x return. That's -20.3% vs the national median.

Construction Trades
6.2x

$41,109 earnings $6,578 net -20.3% vs natl
Precision Production
5.4x

$40,360 earnings $7,410 net -21.7% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
4.9x

$40,358 earnings $8,298 net -21.7% vs natl
Legal Studies
4.5x

$44,521 earnings $9,992 net -13.7% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
4.3x

$39,949 earnings $9,276 net -22.5% vs natl
Criminal Justice
3.7x

$47,309 earnings $12,828 net -8.3% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Texas's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Humanities 20%
Business & Marketing 18%
Health Professions 15%
Computer Science & IT 8%
Biology & Biomedical 5%

Highest-Earning Fields

Biology & Biomedical $60,596
Health Professions $59,959
Engineering $58,536
Social Sciences $58,077
Communications $56,363

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Texas's graduate supply.

Engineering $58,536 5% of grads
Social Sciences $58,077 3% of grads
Communications $56,363 3% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Texas's colleges post an average mobility rate of 2.3%, which puts the state in the 83rd percentile nationally. 13% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households, a larger share than most states enroll. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.37, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

2.3%

▲ +0.59pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

13%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

21%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

43%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

67%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.37

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Texas's Sciences programs produce graduates earning $56,125, +8.8% relative to the national median. Humanities graduates, however, earn 18.8% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Humanities
21% of enrollment

$41,858 -18.8% vs natl

62 schools
Business
18% of enrollment

$48,849 -5.3% vs natl

116 schools
Healthcare
15% of enrollment

$51,133 -0.9% vs natl

102 schools
Technology
8% of enrollment

$49,532 -4% vs natl

45 schools
Social Sciences
8% of enrollment

$54,818 +6.3% vs natl

59 schools
Sciences
6% of enrollment

$56,125 +8.8% vs natl

46 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Sciences: +8.8% vs national earnings ($56,125)

Social Sciences: +6.3% vs national earnings ($54,818)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -18.8% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Business: -5.3% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Texas's higher education system includes 13 research-oriented, 42 specialized, 31 access-oriented, 89 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

13

Research Universities
89

Regional Universities
31

Access-Oriented Institutions
42

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

52% of Texas's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $43,864 at 10 years. At the premium end, 4 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $71,151.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

77

52% of schools
Avg earnings: $43,864
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

47

32% of schools
Avg earnings: $50,680
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

19

13% of schools
Avg earnings: $53,076
NET PRICE OVER $40K

4

3% of schools
Avg earnings: $71,151

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Texas

Texas is home to 388 colleges and universities, from 102 public institutions to 76 private nonprofits. Texas A&M University-College Station anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $40,878 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Culinary & Personal Services and Business & Marketing. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Texas

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $17,686 a year across Texas. North Central Texas College stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Texas's economy leans on energy, technology and healthcare & aerospace, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Culinary & Personal Services and Business & Marketing feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Texas level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Texas earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$40,878

▼ $-2,959 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$17,686

▲ $-390 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.3x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

HBCUs in Texas

Is Texas Right for You?

Texas is a strong fit if you want to build a career in energy and technology, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

West Coast University-Texas · TX University of North Texas Health Science Center · TX The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston · TX Chamberlain University-Texas · TX Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center · TX The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · TX

FAQ

How many colleges are in Texas?

There are 388 colleges and universities in Texas in our dataset — 102 public, 76 private nonprofit, including 9 HBCUs.

What is the highest-earning college in Texas?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, West Coast University-Texas leads, followed by schools like University of North Texas Health Science Center and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

How much does college cost in Texas?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $17,686 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Texas?

Texas's economy is anchored by energy, technology and healthcare & aerospace, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Texas?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. North Central Texas College, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 388 schools in Texas

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

388 institutions in Texas

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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