Postsecondary Education

The continued shift to a knowledge-based economy means the best opportunities for job prospects and upward mobility will require education and training beyond high school

Although rates of college readiness in the region have increased, college enrollment has declined and completion has mostly stagnated, with the result that not enough Houston-area students earn postsecondary credentials after high school. Disparities in college readiness, enrollment, and completion persist.

The data

Before getting into the data about readiness, enrollment and completion, it is helpful to clarify exactly what is postsecondary education. In the simplest terms, any education or training that goes beyond traditional high school coursework is considered postsecondary education. Common postsecondary options include four-year universities, two-year community colleges, trade schools, apprenticeships, and military.

Postsecondary readiness rates in the Houston region increase for third consecutive year

College, Career, and Military Readiness

Measuring college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) indicators started in 2017 under HB 22 as part of the new A-F school accountability system, prompted by a desire to hold schools accountable for postsecondary preparation rather than just test scores, and it gained a funding incentive in 2019 under HB 3. This indicator aims to measure high school graduates’ preparedness for college, the workforce, or the military. A high school graduate is considered CCMR if they meet at least one of 10 criteria, including six that measure college readiness and four that measure career or military readiness.

Of the 382,000 Texas public high school graduates in 2024, over 312,000 (or 82%) demonstrated college, career, or military readiness. That is an increase of 16 percentage points from 2018.

The share of graduates classified as CCMR in each county of the region and the state ticked up between 2018 and 2019 but declined the following year in 2020. Rates mostly stagnated in 2021 but began to tick back up in 2022. As of 2024, the rate of CCMR high school graduates across the region and state is higher than it was in 2018. The CCMR rate increased by 8 percentage points in Fort Bend, 15 points in Harris, 12 points in Montgomery counties and 16 points across the state of Texas since 2018. The percent of graduates classified as CCMR in 2024 was 77% in Fort Bend County, 80% in Harris County, 83% in Montgomery County, and 82% statewide.

Read about foundational academic readiness in early childhood education in Texas.

College Readiness

College readiness/preparedness refers to the cumulative knowledge and skills a high school graduate is expected to have upon entering higher education. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) offers a composite measure of College-Readiness that reflects the percentage of high school graduates who have met at least one of six criteria: (1) meeting the college-ready criteria on the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessment (ELA/reading and math), SAT, ACT, or by successfully completing and earning credit for a college prep course; (2) earning a minimum of dual course credit hours; (3) passing at least one AP or IB exam; (4) earning an associate’s degree while in high school; (5) earning OnRamps dual enrollment course credits; or (6) a graduate who is identified as receiving special education who graduates under an Advanced Diploma Plan.

The share of high school graduates in Texas classified as college-ready by these criteria has ticked up significantly since 2018. The statewide average increased from 50% in 2018 to 70% in 2024. It is worth noting that the college-ready criterion specific to students receiving special education was not included prior to the 2022–23 school year. This additional criterion may have contributed to the increases in college-readiness rates.

Between 2018 and 2022, college-readiness rates dipped or were flat, but more recently college-readiness rates increased significantly—by 20 points in Fort Bend County, 19 points in Harris County, 15 points in Montgomery County, and 17 points statewide. The definition of college readiness for the 2022–23 school year was updated to include an additional criterion which may have contributed to the significant increases in college-readiness rates. In 2024, the majority of high school graduates in Houston’s three-county region were considered college-ready—72% in Fort Bend, 70% in Harris, and 68% in Montgomery counties. This is on par with the state rate of 70%.

SAT/ACT Participation and Performance

One measure of college readiness in Texas is performance on the SAT or ACT, widely used college admissions exams. Texans are much more likely to take the SAT than the ACT. According to the Texas Education Agency, nearly 292,000 graduates from Texas public and private high schools in 2024 took the SAT compared to 87,200 who took the ACT.  For students in the class of 2024, 73% took the SAT in Texas, compared to 51% nationally, and 22% took the ACT, compared to 36% nationally.

More than 400 school districts across the state participate in SAT School Day—when students can take the SAT on their high school campus during the school day, rather than on the weekend (which is typical).

In 2024, about 91% of high school graduates in Fort Bend and 89% in Harris counties took either the SAT or ACT. Montgomery County participation rates are lower at about 68%, which is lower than the statewide rate as well. After a dip in SAT/ACT participation rates during the school years most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-21 and 2021-22), rates ticked up in 2023 and leveled off in 2024, except in Montgomery County where there was another drop. Between 2018 and 2024, participation rates increased by 9 percentage points in Fort Bend County, 5 points in Montgomery County, and 3 points in Harris County.

The rate of high school graduates who score at or above criterion for the SAT or ACT tells a different story however. As participation in these tests increases, performance tends to decline. Between 2018 and 2024, the percentage of high school graduates who scored at or above the threshold required to be considered college ready decreased 8 percentage points in Montgomery County, 6 points in Fort Bend County, and 5 points in Harris County and across the state. Regionally, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties historically have had the highest percentage of high school graduates who scored at or above criterion while Harris County’s rate has been the lowest of the three counties. As of 2024, college-readiness rates of high school graduates per the SAT/ACT were 37% in Fort Bend, 29% in Montgomery, and 26% in Harris counties, higher than the statewide rate of 23%.

Participation rates and performance vary considerably by gender, racial group and socioeconomic status. As with most racial/ethnic disparities in education, this is partly because of discriminatory practices that have existed since our nation’s founding (such as redlining and segregation), exacerbated by present-day imbalances (i.e., poverty, disinvestment in public schools).

Across all counties and the state, Asian American students were the most likely to take the SAT or ACT while economically disadvantaged and Black students were the least likely.  The SAT/ACT participation rates by demographic groups vary the most in Montgomery County with only 54% of economically disadvantaged students taking the SAT or ACT compared to 95% of Asian American students.

Differences among demographic groups are much larger for SAT/ACT performance than participation. In Fort Bend County, economically disadvantaged, Black, and Hispanic high school graduates meet the college-ready criteria for SAT/ACT performance at a rate 16–18 percentage points lower than all students in the county despite participating at lower rates.

Career or Military Readiness

While most postsecondary outcomes focus on higher education (“college ready”), Texas high schools can help students achieve alternative paths to employment. According to the TEA, a high school graduate is considered career or military ready if they meet any of the four career or military readiness criteria: (1) earn an industry-based certification; (2) graduate with an individualized education program and demonstrated workforce readiness skills; (3) graduate with a level I or level II in a workforce education area; or (4) enlist in the Armed Forces.

The share of high school graduates who were designated as career or military ready increased between 2018 and 2019 but then fell further back in 2020.  Since then, these rates have increased in all regions except Fort Bend County (where more graduating students are classified as “college ready” than “career or military ready”). Rates of career or military readiness in each of the greater Houston region’s three counties and the state overall in 2024 were above where they were in 2018, increasing most significantly in Montgomery County (19 percentage points). As of 2024, 44% of high school graduates in Montgomery County were considered career or military ready, compared to 38% across Texas, 36% in Harris County, and 24% in Fort Bend County.

College enrollment rates directly from Texas high schools have declined over the last decade

The most recent data available at publication is for students who graduated in 2024 and enrolled in higher education the following fall. The data includes students who attend both public and independent/private colleges and universities, but excludes students who go out-of-state.

Between 2017 and 2024, total in-state college enrollment rates (combining 2- and 4-year enrollment) decreased by 6 points across Texas, 12 percentage points in Fort Bend County, 8 points in Harris County, and 5 points in Montgomery County.

From 2017 to 2024, both two-year college and four-year university enrollment across Houston’s three-county region dipped four percentage points.

Among Fort Bend County high school graduates, in-state college enrollment has been declining gradually since 2017, predating the pandemic, and has not yet recovered. By 2024, graduates enrolled in in-state two-year colleges at a rate 7 points lower than in 2017, and in four-year universities at a rate 5 points lower. In Harris County, 2-year enrollment rates in fall 2024 were 20% on part with 4-year enrollment rates – this is about 3 and 4 points lower, respectively, compared to 2017. In Montgomery County, 2-year enrollment rates were 19% while 4-year enrollment rates were 21%. These are lower than in 2017, but less so compared to the declines seen in Fort Bend and Harris counties.

College enrollment by race/ethnicity is available only at the state level. Texas high school graduates who identify as Asian American enroll in the state’s higher education institutions at the highest rate among the four largest racial/ethnic groups (55%), and Black students have the lowest enrollment rate at 40%. Asian American students have the highest rate of enrollment in public 4-year universities (39%) and the lowest enrollment rates in public 2-year colleges (14%). Hispanic students have the lowest enrollment rates in public 4-year universities (18%) and the highest rate of enrollment in public 2-year universities (22%).

Note: Educational outcomes vary significantly within the “Asian” category as the term includes a group of people who descend from about 50 different countries with distinct political and immigration histories. For example, according to a 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, 77% of Indian Americans and 58% of Chinese Americans have a bachelor’s degree compared to 20% of Bhutanese and 18% of Laotians.  Additionally, given that the general terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” are used to describe a group of people who originate from a wide variety of Spanish-speaking or Latin American countries, and who understand their identity in different ways, the diversity within that broad group can often go unnoticed. Similar to Asian Americans, the educational attainment varies within this broader group. The latest data available from the Pew Research Center shows that 57% of Venezuelans and 46% of Argentines have at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 13% of Salvadorans and 11% of Guatemalans.

Several factors contribute to a high school graduate’s decision to not enroll in a higher education program to which they have been accepted. Students may opt to attend a different higher education institution, somewhere out of state, or to not enroll entirely — a phenomenon known as “summer melt.” Research shows that access to financial aid is among the largest factors that contribute to “summer melt,” and that targeting interventions for students who are the first in their family to attend higher education or who come from low-income backgrounds or racial/ethnic groups that have been historically underrepresented and under-supported in higher education could have the most significant impact.^1,2,3

The share of Texas high school graduates who applied to in-state public four-year universities for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation reached a decade high in 2023 at 37%, nearly 4 percentage points higher from 34% in 2013.

Similarly, the college admission rate for this population ticked up in 2023 to 34% from 29% in 2013. We see a similar trend in the rate of college applicants who are accepted and enroll in a four-year university, increasing by just over 1 percentage point between 2013 (20%) and 2022 (22%). Concerningly, the percentage of college applicants who were accepted to a four-year in-state public university but did not enroll increased from 9% in 2013 to 12% in 2023.

Too few Houston-area students complete college on time

Completing college with a degree or certificate is important for both individuals pursuing higher education and the region at large. Students who finish college are more likely to work in jobs that earn livable wages and provide benefits, and be  civically engaged.⁴ Moreover, when students leave college without completing a degree, many are saddled with the debt without benefitting from the wage premium that higher education degrees typically provide. This double-negative situation where costs increase without improvement in earnings leads to a higher likelihood of defaulting on student loans, which jeopardizes future earnings, job and housing prospects; damages credit history and limits the ability to borrow money in the future; and hinders overall economic mobility and prosperity.⁵

The following data shows the percentage of high school students who received a degree or credential from a public Texas four- or two-year college within eight years of their high school graduation.

About 20% of students who graduated from a Texas public high school in 2017 (the most recent year for which there is complete data) received a degree from a public in-state four-year university within eight years of their high school graduation (by 2025). Only about 10% of high school graduates in 2017 who earned a four-year degree finished within four years An additional 6% took five years, and 3% more took six years (150% of normal time) to finish a “four-year” degree.

The traditional mission of community colleges is different from four-year universities as students typically hope to transfer from a two-year college to a four-year university, and they may or may not receive a credential on that path. About 11% of students who graduated from a Texas public high school in 2017 (the most recent year for which there is complete data) received a degree or certificate from a public in-state two-year college within eight years. For high school graduates who earn a two-year degree, 8% completed their degree within four years (200% of normal time). For the high school class of 2017, about 3% of high school grads completed in two years or fewer (normal time) after high school graduation. An additional 2% took five to six years to finish a “two-year” degree.

Too few eighth graders earn a college credential by the time they turn 25

Tracking the educational progress of eighth graders who attend Texas public schools shows that a small share ultimately received a college credential from a Texas higher education institution within six years of their projected high school graduation date, or by the time they are 25 years old.

Among Texas students who started eighth grade in 2015, 82% graduated from high school, 55% enrolled in a university or college (either in Texas or out-of-state), and 28% graduated with a postsecondary degree or credential within six years of completing high school.

What about the progress of Houston-area public school students going to college in Texas? Outcomes in Houston’s three-county region closely mirror that in the state. Nearly 80,200 eighth graders were enrolled in Houston’s three-county region in 2014–15: about 8,300 in Fort Bend; 64,200 in Harris; and 7,800 in Montgomery.

Students who live in Fort Bend County have had better postsecondary outcomes than those in in Harris and Montgomery counties and Texas overall. In Fort Bend County, 40% of eighth-grade students earned a postsecondary degree or credential within six years of graduating high school compared to 27% in Harris County and 30% in Montgomery County.

As we’ve seen with other educational indicators, disparities exist across groups partly due to discriminatory practices that have existed since our nation’s founding which are exacerbated by present-day imbalances. Black and Hispanic eighth-grade students are less likely than their white peers to complete a postsecondary education within six years of graduating high school. In the Houston region, 22% of Black and Hispanic students in the eighth-grade cohort completed postsecondary education compared to 40% of white students.

Female students are more likely than their male classmates to earn a postsecondary degree by 11-12 percentage points across the three-county region and the state of Texas. Additionally, eighth graders classified as economically disadvantaged complete college at rates significantly below their non-economically disadvantaged peers—by 26 percentage points lower in Fort Bend, 21 points lower in Harris, and 25 points lower in Montgomery counties.

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