Public · Community college
Texas Southmost College
Brownsville, Texas · Midsize city
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $3,085
- Avg net price
- 30%
- Grad / completion
- $41,900
- Median earnings
Texas Southmost College is a public associate-granting institution in Brownsville, Texas (midsize city setting), enrolling 3,372 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. In 1781, Spanish government officials granted José Salvador de la Garza 59 leagues of land (408 sq mi). He used the land to construct a ranch several miles northwest of the area. During the early 1800s, Brownsville was known to residents as los tejidos (English: "pasturelands"). Brownsville is known for its strong Mexican culture. Charro Days is a two-nation fiesta celebration held in Brownsville in cooperation with Matamoros, Mexico. It is accompanied with El Grito, a joyous shout originating in Mexican culture. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- Brownsville, TX
- To the ocean
- 16 miles
- Nearest airport
- 4 miles to Brownsville South Padre Island (BRO)
How Texas Southmost College compares
Higher than 12% · #216 of 253 in Texas
Higher than 40%
Higher than 76% · #36 of 206 in Texas
Cheaper than 96% · #10 cheapest of 252 in Texas
Lower than 66%
Lower than 18%
Larger than 87%
Percentiles compare Texas Southmost College 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
- Women1,85855%
- Men1,51445%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White1.9%
- Hispanic93%
- Other or multiracial4.9%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,372
- Student–faculty ratio
- 23 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 28%
- First-generation students
- 56%
- Students over 25
- 8%
- Median family income
- $18,075
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $56,907
- Endowment
- $209,870
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 953 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Texas99%
- International0.9%
Most first-years stay in state — Texas Southmost College draws overwhelmingly from Texas.
1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $3,148
- Out-of-state tuition
- $4,948
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,470
- Total cost of attendance
- $10,999
- Average net price
- $3,085
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
- 30%
- First-year retention
- 68%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $33,992
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $41,900
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,000
- Students with federal loans
- 6%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 35%
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
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 75 (38 men · 37 women)
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%.
Varsity sports (2)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (8,828 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?
Texas Southmost College funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.
Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $41,900
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 21%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 46%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.1 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 $6,650 (17%) 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
- 94°F
- Winter low
- 50°F
- Annual rain
- 26.8″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wfo Brownsville, TX US station (4.7 mi from campus).
What Texas Southmost College 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 Texas Southmost College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Texas Southmost College side by side →
Victoria College
Victoria, Texas · Small city · 75 mi to Corpus Christi
- Students
- 2,351
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 26%
- Earnings
- $42k
Trinity Valley Community College
Athens, Texas · Distant town · 68 mi to Dallas
- Students
- 5,655
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $39k
Midland College
Midland, Texas · Midsize city · 3 mi to Midland
- Students
- 5,542
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 21%
- Earnings
- $44k
Wharton County Junior College
Wharton, Texas · Distant town · 53 mi to Houston
- Students
- 4,585
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 30%
- Earnings
- $45k
Brazosport College
Lake Jackson, Texas · Small suburb · 49 mi to Houston
- Students
- 2,622
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $46k
Lamar State College-Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas · Small city · 87 mi to Houston
- Students
- 1,508
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $37k
Colleges near Texas Southmost College
Mei Barber School
Brownsville, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 91 students
Southern Careers Institute-Brownsville
Brownsville, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 631 students
UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences - 03
Brownsville, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 24 students
Salon & Spa Institute
Brownsville, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 71 students
South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Brownsville
Brownsville, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 423 students
UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-Harlingen
Harlingen, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 87 students
Southern Careers Institute-Harlingen
Harlingen, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 543 students
Advanced Barber College and Hair Design
Weslaco, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 91 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.











