Built for transfer
Austin CC delivers real numbers
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at Austin Community College District before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere in Texas. That choice comes down to real data: what the transfer rate actually looks like, what you'll earn afterward, and what it costs you out of pocket.
~40,000 undergrads, 31% transfer out by year 8, median $43k 10-yr earnings, $10,499 median debt.
One of Texas's largest CCs with a transfer-out rate that delivers
Austin Community College District enrolls nearly 40,000 undergraduates — one of the biggest community colleges in Texas — and 31% transfer to a four-year institution within eight years, well above the national community college average. General Studies is the dominant program at 2,263 completions, which signals that a substantial share of students use Austin CC specifically to complete transfer-prep coursework. Computer Programming, Networking, and Registered Nursing each run at high volume. In-district tuition is $2,010 and net price is $6,390. Median earnings land at $43k ten years out, with a 0% three-year loan default rate.
Austin Community College District sits in Austin, Texas, and enrolls nearly 40,000 undergraduates — 73% of them part-time, which means extended timelines are the norm, not the exception. Despite that part-time reality, 31% of students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years, a figure that clears the national community college benchmark by a visible margin. General Studies is the college's highest-volume program by far, with 2,263 completions, pointing to a large cohort of students moving through transfer-prep coursework before heading to a university. Computer Programming (646 completions), Computer Systems Networking (457), and Registered Nursing (355) add real technical and health-care depth. In-district tuition is $2,010 annually, and the average net price is $6,390. Median earnings ten years out are $43,177, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. For a Texas student weighing cost against the odds of actually making it to a four-year degree, Austin CC's numbers are among the more persuasive in the state.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| General Studies. | 2,263 |
| Computer Programming/Programmer, General. | 646 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. | 457 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 355 |
| Welding Technology/Welder. | 327 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 313 |
| Psychology, General. | 161 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 152 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 147 |
| Accounting. | 147 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where Texas transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Austin Community College District a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data makes a solid case. Austin CC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 31%, which sits above the national community college average that typically falls between 15 and 25 percent. In-district tuition is $2,010 annually and the average net price is $6,390, so accumulating heavy debt before transferring is unlikely — median borrower debt is $10,499. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $43,177, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. The dominant completion category is General Studies at 2,263 students, suggesting the institution functions primarily as a transfer-prep environment rather than a terminal-credential one. For a student who goes in with a clear destination and a transfer plan, the numbers support this as a rational, low-cost first step.
- How does Austin Community College District's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- Austin CC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 31%. National research consistently places the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so Austin CC sits clearly above that benchmark. That result comes despite 73% of students attending part-time — a share that typically suppresses transfer rates because extended timelines create more exit points. An additional 3% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 18% had completed a credential at Austin CC itself. The combination of a high part-time share and a 31% transfer-out rate suggests the institution has genuine infrastructure supporting students through to the transfer step, not just enrolling them.
- What programs does Austin Community College District offer at meaningful scale?
- Austin CC's highest-volume program is General Studies, with 2,263 completions — more than three times the next entry. That gap reflects its core function as a transfer-prep institution: many students complete foundational coursework here before moving to a four-year university. On the technical side, Computer Programming produced 646 completions and Computer Systems Networking 457, making computing a genuine strength. Registered Nursing completed 355 students, Welding Technology 327, and Business 313. Psychology and Computer and Information Sciences each added around 150. Automotive and Accounting round out the top ten. The spread across computing, health care, skilled trades, and business means students targeting a range of bachelor's-adjacent or career-entry paths will find course sections and support infrastructure that have real depth.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.