Two years in
El Paso, then transfer
You're weighing whether to start your college career at El Paso Community College before finishing a bachelor's degree elsewhere in Texas. The decision comes down to real numbers: what it costs, how many students actually transfer, and what earnings look like afterward.
~25,500 undergrads, 25% transfer out by year 8, median $35k 10-yr earnings, $6,566 median debt.
A large El Paso CC that moves a quarter of students toward four-year degrees
El Paso Community College enrolls about 25,500 undergrads — a significant presence in West Texas — and sends 25% of students to a four-year institution within eight years. That transfer-out rate clears the national community college average. In-district tuition is $2,784 and net price drops to $3,206, keeping out-of-pocket costs low. Liberal Arts and Sciences leads all programs with 1,507 completions; Registered Nursing adds 205 more. Median earnings ten years out are $35k — functional but modest — and median debt is $6,566. The loan default rate is effectively zero.
El Paso Community College sits in El Paso, Texas, and enrolls roughly 25,500 undergraduates — a large campus by any measure, with 68% attending part-time. Liberal Arts and Sciences is the dominant program by volume, with 1,507 completions annually, reflecting a student body heavily oriented toward transfer-prep coursework. Business Administration (273 completions) and Registered Nursing (205) round out the top three. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 25%, which clears the national community college average and signals that EPCC functions as a real feeder into the four-year system. In-district tuition runs $2,784 per year and the average net price is $3,206 — among the lowest entry costs you'll find. Median debt at $6,566 and an effectively zero loan default rate confirm that students are not leaving heavily burdened. One number to weigh carefully: median earnings ten years out are $35k, which is modest. That figure reflects the full mix of EPCC completers — including workforce and vocational tracks — not only transfer students, so it should inform your expectations without dictating them.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 1,507 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 273 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 205 |
| Criminal Justice/Safety Studies. | 161 |
| Teacher Education, Multiple Levels. | 153 |
| Psychology, General. | 144 |
| General Studies. | 126 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 123 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 109 |
| Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training. | 82 |
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 El Paso Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data offers a reasonably positive picture with one note of caution. EPCC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 25%, which beats the national community college norm and indicates real transfer momentum. In-district tuition is $2,784 annually with an average net price of just $3,206, and median borrower debt is $6,566 — low enough that you're unlikely to carry heavy financial baggage into a four-year program. The loan default rate is effectively zero. The figure to watch is median earnings ten years out at $35k; that's lower than many four-year transfer destinations produce. It reflects the full range of EPCC completers rather than transfer-track students specifically, but it's worth factoring into the cost-benefit math alongside where you plan to transfer.
- How does El Paso Community College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- EPCC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 25%. National research typically places the average community college transfer rate between 15% and 25%, so EPCC sits at or just above that benchmark. The result is more meaningful given that 68% of EPCC students attend part-time — part-time enrollment consistently suppresses transfer rates because students take longer to complete the credits needed to qualify. An additional 2% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 25% had completed a credential at EPCC itself. The combination suggests the college is actively moving students forward rather than cycling them in place, even with the part-time headwinds.
- What programs does El Paso Community College offer at meaningful scale?
- EPCC's highest-volume program is Liberal Arts and Sciences with 1,507 completions — a number large enough to indicate well-developed advising, ample course sections, and a clear transfer-prep pipeline. Business Administration and Management produced 273 completions and Registered Nursing 205, both programs with direct career and transfer applications. Criminal Justice (161), Teacher Education (153), Psychology (144), General Studies (126), and Biology (123) each operate at meaningful volume. Automotive Technology produced 109 completions and Licensed Practical Nursing 82. The breadth is real: whether your transfer target is a health science program, a business school, or a liberal arts curriculum, EPCC has enough scale in those tracks that the supporting infrastructure — course availability, faculty, completion pathways — is developed rather than thin.
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.