Postsecondary Enrollment Profile
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50%
10,793 / 21,622
Central Texas
Postsecondary Enrollment Rate
48%
40,605 / 83,925
Dallas/Fort Worth
Postsecondary Enrollment Rate
Postsecondary Enrollment Within One Year of Graduation Decreasing in Last Decade
While high school graduation rates have been increasing over the past ten years for Texas, the same trend is not found in postsecondary enrollment in Texas institutions in the first year after graduation, where rates have been decreasing steadily.
In Texas overall, enrollment rates decreased from 61% of the class of 2009 to 49% of the class of 2020. For the first time in a decade, less than 1/2 of Texas graduates were enrolling in Texas postsecondary institutions within 1 year of graduation.
Use the comparison feature to see how the trend in your region compares to the state.
Disparities Exist in Postsecondary Enrollment by Household Income
There are disparities in postsecondary enrollment by household income in Texas. More students from non-low-income households enroll in postsecondary education than students from low-income households.
In Texas, for the class of 2020, about 4 in 10 students from low-income households enrolled in Texas postsecondary institutions within one year of high school graduation, compared to 6 in 10 students from non-low-income households.
Use the comparison feature to compare your region to the state. Are there greater or lesser disparities in your region?
Texas' Two-Year Colleges More Popular Among Graduates from Low-Income Households
Texas has a variety of institutions of higher education, including, two-year public colleges, four-year public colleges, and four-year private institutions.
In Texas, for the class of 2020 who enrolled in college within one year of high school graduation, more than half of graduates from low-income households enrolled in two-year public institutions, while nearly 7 of 10 graduates from non-low-income households enrolled in four-year public institutions.
Use the left hand menu to explore your region. What institutions are students from your region enrolling in? How does it compare to the state?
Disparities in Postsecondary Enrollment by Household Income Have Not Decreased in Texas
Disparities continue in postsecondary enrollment rates within one year of high school graduation for students from low-income households as compared to students from non-low-income households in Texas. Even as enrollment rates have decreased for both groups over the past 10 years, this disparity persists.
For students from low-income households, postsecondary enrollment rates within one year of graduation decreased from 52% for the class of 2009 to 42% for the class of 2020.
For students from non-low-income households, enrollment rates decreased from 69% for the class of 2009 to 61% for the class of 2020.
Use the comparison feature to view the trend in your region as compared to the state. Is the trend moving in the same direction? Are the disparities increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same over time?
Postsecondary Enrollment Within One Year of Graduation Varies by Race
Enrollment patterns in Texas postsecondary institutions show racial disparities that point to the need for systemic change around opportunities, access, and support.
Use the comparison feature to look at disparities in enrollment in your region. Are disparities larger or smaller than the state?
Disparities in Postsecondary Enrollment by Race Persist Over Time
In Texas, all student groups have seen a decrease in postsecondary enrollment in Texas institutions of higher education within one year of graduating high school. Although the trends have been similar across groups, the disparities have persisted.
Use the comparison feature to look at trends in your region by race over the past 10 years, as compared to the state. Are disparities increasing or decreasing in your region? Do some groups trend in different directions than others?
Digging Deeper: Gender, Income, and Race Play a Role in Postsecondary Enrollment Rates
Reviewing the latest enrollment data by student groups based on their gender, income, and race allows us to take a closer look at which student groups are being underserved.
In Texas for the class of 2020, Asian females from non-low-income households enrolled in Texas postsecondary institutions within one year of graduation at the highest rates (78%), while white males from low-income households enrolled in Texas postsecondary institutions within one year of graduation at the lowest rates (29%).
For nearly all racial groups, females from non-low-income households are enrolled at the highest rates, followed by males from non-low-income households, then females from low-income households, and males from low-income households.
High School Grads Enrolling in Texas Higher Education, Class of 2020
Compare your District and Campuses to Others Using the Scatterplots Below
Use the first scatterplot below to compare your district to other districts in the region. You can use toggles and selections to look at specific demographic groups, and bright-spot districts. You can also toggle on size indicators and charter districts.
Use the second scatterplot below to compare campuses in your district to other campuses in the region. You can use toggles and selections to look at specific demographic groups, and bright-spot campuses. You can also toggle on size indicators and charter schools within your district.
Gauging your district against your peers can help you benchmark your performance against other similar districts and campuses. You may be surprised to see which districts and campuses perform well for specific demographic groups.
Economic Status
Ethnicity
Gender
Economic Status
Ethnicity
Gender
Enrollment in Central Texas Higher Education Institutions
Central Texas is home to several institutions of higher education, including two-year colleges, four-year public institutions, and four-year private institutions. In Fall 2019, enrollment ranged from just over 1,100 students at Huston-Tillotson University to over 51,000 at the University of Texas at Austin.
| Institution Name | Undergrad Enrollment | Graduate Enrollment | Total Enrollment | Institution Type |
| University of Texas - Austin | 40,163 | 10,927 | 51,090 | Research Institution |
| Austin Community College | 41,056 | --- | 41,056 | Community College |
| Texas State University | 33,917 | 4,270 | 38,187 | Emerging Research Inst. |
| St. Edward's University | 3,443 | 533 | 3,976 | Private, 4-Year |
| Concordia University | 1,828 | 690 | 2,518 | Private, 4-Year |
| Southwestern University | 1,511 | --- | 1,511 | Private, 4-Year |
| Huston-Tillotson University | 1,112 | 9 | 1,121 | Private, 4-Year |
| Western Governors University | * | -- | * | Online Nonprofit |
| All Institutions | 123,030 | 16,429 | 139,459 |
3 Postsecondary Institutions Make up Over 90 Percent of Central Texas Undergraduate Enrollment
Over 90% of Undergraduate Students in Central Texas attend Austin Community College, the University of Texas at Austin, and Texas State University. Austin Community College and University of Texas at Austin each represent approximately 33 percent of total undergraduate enrollment in the region. Texas State represents approximately 28 percent of total undergraduate enrollment in the region. The next largest institution, St. Edward's University represents 3 percent of total undergraduate enrollment in the region.
In Fall 2020, more than 41,000 undergraduate students enrolled in Austin Community College, more than 40,000 undergraduate students enrolled in University of Texas at Austin, and almost 34,000 students enrolled in Texas State University. The other universities in Central Texas are smaller private institutions, enrolling between 1,100 and 3,400 undergraduate students in Fall 2019.
Majority of Central Texas Graduates Enroll in Four-Year Institutions
| College or University | 2-Year Institution | 4-Year Institution |
| ACC | 3,387 | |
| Texas State | 1,248 | |
| UT Austin | 1,043 | |
| Texas A&M College Station | 800 | |
| Texas Tech | 412 | |
| Blinn College | 392 | |
| UT San Antonio | 389 | |
| UT Dallas | 333 | |
| University of North Texas | 256 | |
| Texas A&M Corpus Christi | 159 | |
| TOTAL | 3,779 | 4,640 |
Four-Year Institutions Receive Majority of Enrollment
The top ten institutions for enrollment within one year of graduation for students from Central Texas includes both two-year and four-year public universities. Most graduates who enroll in Texas postsecondary institutions are represented in this table, with an additional 1,994 students enrolling in other Texas four-year institutions, and an additional 520 students enrolling in other Texas two-year colleges.
Overall, Central Texas students are most likely to enroll directly into four-year institutions, but enrollees in two-year institutions still make up a sizeable minority of Central Texas enrollees. The institution into which Central Graduates are most likely to enroll is Austin Community College, with nearly 3,400 students from the class of 2019 enrolling within one year of graduating high school. Texas State and University of Texas at Austin also enroll a large number of Central Texas graduates.
Undergraduates in Central Texas More Likely to Enroll Full-Time at Four-Year Institutions, Part-Time at Two-Year Institutions
When enrolling in Central Texas Universities, the Class of 2019 was more likely to enroll full-time in four-year institutions, and part-time in two-year institutions. For four-year institutions, part-time enrollment ranged from 1.1 percent of the entering class to 21.2 percent of the entering class. For Austin Community College, the region's main two year public college, part-time enrollees made up 78.2 percent of the entering class.
About this data:
E3 Alliance relies primarily on data from the University of Texas Education Research Center (ERC). This data allows for a longitudinal understanding of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion, based on where and when a student graduates from high school. This data pertains to graduates from within the state of Texas who enroll in Texas postsecondary institutions within one year of graduating from high school.
Following are items to note:
The year of the data represents the year of high school graduation. There is a delay in the data due to the state's approval process and the time needed to measure postsecondary enrollment after graduation. The graphs below present postsecondary enrollment data in the most recent available year in Texas postsecondary institutions, for the class that graduated high school in 2020.
The conclusions of this research do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official position of the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the State of Texas.