Public · Community college
Lone Star College System
The Woodlands, Texas · Midsize city
- 29%
- Transfer rate
- $11,252
- Avg net price
- 21%
- Grad / completion
- $42,466
- Median earnings
Lone Star College System is a public associate-granting institution in The Woodlands, Texas (midsize city setting), enrolling 45,188 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About The Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands is a special-purpose district and census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas. In 1984, construction in the Indian Springs neighborhood near the creek discovered Bidai artifacts. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion hosts free concerts by the Houston Symphony, including recurring annual events such as the Star-Spangled Salute for Independence Day and Hocus Pocus Pops for Halloween. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 30 miles to Houston, TX
- To the ocean
- 40 miles
- Nearest airport
- 17 miles to George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) · major hub
How Lone Star College System compares
Higher than 5% · #238 of 253 in Texas
Higher than 78% · #29 of 206 in Texas
Cheaper than 65% · #72 cheapest of 252 in Texas
Lower than 69%
Lower than 21%
Larger than 99%
Percentiles compare Lone Star College System with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Texas.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women27,88662%
- Men17,30238%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White21%
- Black15%
- Hispanic46%
- Asian6.4%
- Other or multiracial11%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 45,188
- Student–faculty ratio
- 22 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 23%
- First-generation students
- 51%
- Students over 25
- 19%
- Median family income
- $22,787
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $75,051
- Endowment
- $23,866,413
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $3,330
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,390
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $2,550
- Total cost of attendance
- $15,521
- Average net price
- $11,252
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 21%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 29%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $32,889
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $42,466
- Median debt at graduation
- $8,600
- Students with federal loans
- 7%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 24%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 14
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 22 campuses (73,077 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 25% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,775. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 5,414 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $42,466
- Typical debt at graduation
- $8,600
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 20%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 54%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $8,144 (21%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 95°F
- Winter low
- 43°F
- Annual rain
- 50.8″
- Annual snow
- 0.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Houston Hooks Mem AP, TX US station (9.2 mi from campus).
What Lone Star College System graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Lone Star College System
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Lone Star College System side by side →
San Jacinto Community College
Pasadena, Texas · Midsize city · 17 mi to Houston
- Students
- 22,969
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $43k
Collin County Community College District
McKinney, Texas · Large suburb · 28 mi to Dallas
- Students
- 26,449
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 26%
- Earnings
- $49k
Austin Community College District
Austin, Texas · Large city · 4 mi to Austin
- Students
- 30,189
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 30%
- Earnings
- $43k
Blinn College District
Brenham, Texas · Distant town · 68 mi to Houston
- Students
- 15,535
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 34%
- Earnings
- $46k
Houston City College
Houston, Texas · Large city · 1 mi to Houston
- Students
- 40,503
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $39k
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida · Large city · 5 mi to Orlando
- Students
- 39,486
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $41k
Colleges near Lone Star College System
Grace School of Theology
The Woodlands, TX · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 229 students
Mystros Barber Academy
Houston, TX · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 50 students
Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service
Houston, TX · Private nonprofit · Associate · 254 students
Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
Houston, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 2,632 students
Trend Barber College
Houston, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 61 students
Houston Barber School
Houston, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 264 students
Ogle School Hair Skin Nails-Willowbrook
Houston, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 481 students
Tulsa Welding School-Houston
Houston, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 1,962 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.