It can often seem like The University of Texas at Austin is king when it comes to higher education in Austin.
With the start of football season, focus on UT is at an all-time high. So, I figured it would be a great time for a refresher on some of the other colleges and universities we have that sometimes get overlooked in the sea of burnt orange.
Not only is Huston-Tillotson University Austin's only HBCU (Historically Black College or University, it’s also the oldest institution of higher learning in the city! The 19-acre campus is just off Seventh Street in East Austin and it’s beautiful.
Students can get undergraduate, four-year degrees in business, education, the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, science, and technology. They also have an MBA, MEd, and adult continuing education programs. Basic tuition will run you $7,623 per semester, and they have several scholarship and financial aid options.
My favorite cool thing about H-T is its First Year Experience Program, designed to help their first-year students. They offer programming, internships, volunteer opportunities, and peer learning coaches to help students transition to the campus. H-T really seems to want to start students off on the right foot, which you don’t see in many universities.
St. Edward’s University. (Nikki DaVaughn/City Cast Austin)
Nestled on a hill off of South Congress Avenue is St. Edward’s University. The beautiful 160-acre campus was founded in 1885, and is a predominantly liberal arts school, with programs in arts and humanities, behavioral and social science, natural sciences, business, and health sciences. There are 55 undergraduate programs, seven master’s degree programs, and a doctorate program.
They have all kinds of awards and recognitions, but what I think is the coolest is St. Edward’s is one of just 39 institutions in the U.S.,to be recognized as an organization with a mission to accelerate Latino student success in higher education.
Now, in all honesty, the tuition is steep. Base tuition is $25,495, BUT with grants and scholarships, you can get that down to $12,708 — and 96% of their first year students receive those grants and scholarships.
My favorite cool thing about St. Edward’s University is its eight dimensions of wellbeing: Intellectual, social, emotional, physical, financial, spiritual, environmental and vocational. Everything I’ve read drives home that they really invest in the wellbeing of their students, and who doesn’t love that?
Austin Community College’s Eastview Campus. (Nikki DaVaughn/City Cast Austin)
Austin Community College is one of our city’s best kept secrets, and also one of our most underutilized resources, in my opinion. It was founded in 1973 and has 11 campuses throughout Austin and the surrounding areas.
More than 74,000 students rely on ACC for their education every year, with 80% of graduates staying in Texas. They have over 100 programs across their 10 areas of study and students can earn associate degrees, university transfer credits, and career-technical certificates. Plus, they have a program that helps adults prepare for GED exams, college exams, and basic and beginner level English language skills.
Y’all, there really is something for everyone at ACC!
Tuition here is the most accessible of the bunch, with in-district tuition costing $85 per credit hour (most classes are three credit hours). They provide affordability scholarships, financial aid, low cost/no cost text books, and payment plans.
If that’s not enough, ACC’s Free Tuition pilot program lets you take classes without paying tuition or general fees for up to three years! That goes up to 5 years if you earn your bachelor’s degree there. There are no GPA requirements and no income restrictions. Over 5,000 students got free tuition this year! It feels good to have an institution in the city that truly offers an education pathway for everyone.
