EDUCATION
Houston boasts 40 colleges.  More than 25% of residents age 25 and over have graduated from college and over 75% of residents in this age group have graduated from high school.  Both statistics are higher than the national average.
	THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON The University of Houston, which is comprised of 4 separate universities with campuses in the Clear Lake area (UH Clear Lake), Victoria (UH Victoria), downtown Houston (UH Downtown) and its main campus, houses 40 research centers and has over 300 partnerships with various corporate, civic, and government organizations.  The system offers bachelors, masters, special professional and doctoral degrees in 291 programs in 14 colleges and schools.
		RICE UNIVERSITY Rice University is a private institution and is the oldest university in Houston.  Since 1990 Rice University has led the nation’s universities in percentage of National Merit Scholars in its freshman classes, averaging 32.5%.  Rice University uses its endowment – one of the largest held by any university in the world - to keep tuition lower.  The US News and World Report has previously rated Rice University second best college value in the nation and twelfth best national doctoral university.
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM The Houston Community College System with 18 campuses over the Houston metro area is nationally recognized for its educational excellence.  HCC is an excellent educational resource for those who seek advancement leading to professional careers, for those who seek skilled training or to upgrade their skills for the workforce, and for those seeking lifelong learning opportunities to enhance their quality of life. THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS The University of St. Thomas, founded in 1947, is located in Houston’s Museum District.  UST’s academic programs are anchored in the classical tradition of education with the humanities and sciences at the core of all their undergraduate programs. Seven universities comprise the University Center.  The universities are:  North Harris Montgomery Community College District, Prairie View A&M University, Sam Houston State University, Texas Southern University, Texas A&M University, University of Houston, and University of Houston Downtown.  They offer bachelors degrees, masters’ degrees and continuing studies to more than one million individuals in the area. The Texas Medical Center offers medical and nursing schools, which include Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Women’s University School of Nursing, The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center and Houston Baptist University. Younger Houston residents are served primarily by the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the state’s largest public school district and the seventh largest public school system in the U.S.  HISD has an enrollment of over 210,000 students and consists of 295 campuses and educational programs. There are a total of 23 public school districts in Harris County, with 38 districts in the surrounding counties.  Houston is also home to approximately 200 private and parochial schools with more than 45,000 students.

Back