A public community college in South Texas offering 130+ degree and certificate programmes, five baccalaureate degrees and dual credit courses across five campuses and a virtual campus.
South Texas College is a public community college serving the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, with campuses and higher education centres across Hidalgo County and Starr County. Established in 1993 by Texas Senate Bill 251, the institution employs more than 2,200 faculty and staff and serves approximately 26,000 credit students, spread across five campuses, two higher education centres and one virtual campus.
Its academic portfolio spans more than 130 degree and certificate options in liberal arts, social science, business, math, science, technology, advanced manufacturing and allied health. South Texas College is the only community college in Texas to offer five baccalaureate degrees. A Dual Credit programme, running since 2000 with 70 partner high schools, has served 150,000 students and saved families more than $464 million in tuition.
The student body is broadly non-traditional: 40% of students are the first in their families to attend college and half of traditional students receive Pell grants. The college describes its mission as transforming lives through innovative education, holistic learner support and community engagement, and it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It has been recognised as the leading Hispanic-Serving Institution in the United States.
