Houston high schoolers seem to fancy staying close to home when it comes to higher education, with the University of Houston, and Houston Community College topping the list as the most preferred colleges for local grads. A comprehensive analysis by the Houston Chronicle has thrown the spotlight on where the city's students are heading post-graduation.
This breakdown, crunching numbers from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shows the University of Houston leading the pack, pulling in a staggering 45,000 applications from area high schoolers over five years. Following suit, Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin also got a hefty share of attention, with more than 30,000 applications each - a testament, no doubt, to their lure among Houston's young minds.
But it's not just the big names drawing crowds; eight state universities are giving every Houston high school applicant a shot, boasting a 100% acceptance rate. It's a group that includes Texas Woman's University, Midwestern State University, and Sul Ross State University, institutions stepping up to meet specific educational needs for women, liberal arts devotees, and Hispanic students, respectively.
When you zero in on where Houston ISD graduates ended up last year, Houston Community College is the magnet for the majority, attracting roughly 1,700 grads. According to a report from the Houston Chronicle, the community college theme continues strong with UH-Downtown and San Jacinto College making strong showings, and not to mention, Lone Star College drawing a crowd as well. These local institutions, are providing accessible stepping-stones to future opportunities for thousands, perhaps understanding the value that unfolds when one's education begins on familiar terrain.
Overall, Houston's high school graduates are making choices reflecting a desire to stay within the warm embrace of their backyard. With a few hundred setting their sights on the broader vistas offered by larger state schools, the likes of Texas State University in San Marcos, and the University of Texas San Antonio still catch some drifters in their wider nets. Prairie View A&M University, the state's largest HBCU, rounds out the top choices, securing spots for over 100 HISD graduates, in the Class of 2022 alone.
