Pasadena's transfer workhorse
as your first two years in Texas
You're weighing whether to start at San Jacinto before finishing a bachelor's at a Texas four-year. The decision comes down to real numbers: transfer-out rate, what you'll owe when you leave, and what earnings actually look like a decade out.
31,812 undergrads, 30% transfer out by year 8, median $43k 10-yr earnings, $9,500 median debt.
A Houston-area CC with a 30% transfer-out rate and low debt
San Jacinto Community College enrolls 31,812 undergrads across the Houston metro from Pasadena, Texas. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 30%, a strong signal among Texas two-year colleges, and another 35% of students complete a credential at San Jac itself. Median earnings ten years out are $43,062, median borrower debt is $9,500, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. General Studies leads program volume at 1,318 completions, with Business, Natural Sciences, and Registered Nursing also at meaningful scale. In-state tuition runs $3,456; net price is $12,143.
San Jacinto Community College sits in Pasadena, Texas, on the southeast edge of the Houston metro, and enrolls 31,812 undergraduates. General Studies is the largest program by a wide margin at 1,318 completions — the classic transfer-prep track — with Business, Natural Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Chemical Technology, Welding, and Registered Nursing all operating at meaningful scale. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 30%, and another 35% of students complete a credential at San Jac itself, a combination that points to genuine two-track infrastructure rather than drift. Median earnings ten years out are $43,062. Median borrower debt is $9,500 with a 0% three-year loan default rate. In-state tuition runs $3,456, in-district $1,992, and net price $12,143. For a Houston-area student weighing the transfer path, San Jac offers a strong transfer-out signal, low debt risk, and real program depth — though the 65% part-time population means timeline planning matters.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| General Studies. | 1,318 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 781 |
| Natural Sciences. | 504 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 391 |
| Chemical Technology/Technician. | 388 |
| Welding Technology/Welder. | 352 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 257 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 248 |
| Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General. | 208 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 193 |
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 San Jacinto Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The packet numbers make a strong case. San Jac's eight-year transfer-out rate is 30%, which sits at the upper end of the typical community college range and signals real transfer momentum. In-state tuition is $3,456 and in-district tuition is $1,992, with a net price of $12,143 — well below four-year sticker. Median borrower debt is $9,500 and the three-year loan default rate is 0%, so the cost and risk sides of the equation are both manageable. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $43,062. Add meaningful program breadth across General Studies, Business, Natural Sciences, and Registered Nursing, and San Jac functions as a credible two-year launch point toward a Texas bachelor's, especially for students who enter with a specific four-year destination in mind.
- How does San Jacinto's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- San Jacinto's eight-year transfer-out rate is 30%, which sits at the upper end of the typical national community college band of roughly 15% to 25%. Another 35% of students complete a credential at San Jac itself, and 1.9% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark. That combination — a high transfer rate alongside a meaningful direct-completion rate — suggests San Jac runs both tracks effectively rather than pushing students down one path. Context matters: 65% of undergrads attend part-time, a population that nationally shows lower transfer rates because work and family compete with coursework. That San Jac still posts 30% transfer-out despite a part-time-heavy enrollment is a meaningful signal about the college's transfer infrastructure.
- What programs does San Jacinto teach at meaningful scale?
- San Jacinto's top programs by completions are General Studies (1,318), Business (781), Natural Sciences (504), Behavioral Sciences (391), Chemical Technology (388), Welding (352), and Registered Nursing (257). Computer and Information Sciences produced 248 completions, Drafting and Design Technology 208, and Business Administration and Management 193. The mix is unusually balanced: large transfer-oriented academic blocks — General Studies, Natural Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Business — alongside substantive technical programs in Chemical Technology, Welding, and Drafting that tie into the Houston-area petrochemical and industrial base. Students aiming for a four-year transfer and students targeting a skilled-trade credential both have real program infrastructure here, which is uncommon at this scale.
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.