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Texas Community Colleges
Alamo Region
Created to expand Texans’ access to higher education, the state’s 50 community college districts serve a vital role in our state’s economy by developing our workforce, preparing students for further academic study and meeting the specific educational and vocational needs of the local areas they serve.
The 19 counties in the Alamo region — one of 12 economic regions defined by the Comptroller’s office — include two community college districts.
List of community college districts in the Alamo region
- Alamo Colleges District
- - Northeast Lakeview College
- - Northwest Vista College
- - Palo Alto College
- - San Antonio College
- - St. Philip’s College
- Victoria College
Regional Impact of Community Colleges’ spending, Fiscal 2019
Employment
7,052
Output
$816.2 million
Compensation
$406.8 million
Note: Figures include direct, indirect and induced economic impacts.
Sources: JobsEQ, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Texas community colleges.
Wages by Educational Attainment
Community colleges provide their students with a good return on their investment.
In 2018, workers in the Alamo region with some college or associate degrees and stable jobs earned an average of $5,033 more annually than high school graduates.
Average Annual Earnings by Educational Attainment, Alamo Region, 2018
| Educational Attainment | Number Employed, Region | Average Annual Earnings, Region | Number Employed, Texas | Average Annual Earnings, Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 204,124 | $41,374 | 2,065,483 | $42,808 |
| High school or equivalent, no college | 272,172 | $46,065 | 2,765,759 | $52,035 |
| Some college or associate degree | 305,963 | $51,098 | 3,245,675 | $60,428 |
| Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree | 183,292 | $67,802 | 2,454,975 | $95,716 |
| Educational attainment not available | 154,375 | $23,176 | 1,544,282 | $22,087 |
| Total | 1,119,925 | $47,688 | 12,076,174 | $58,787 |
Average overall: $43,447
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and JobsEQ
Average wage Increase Over High School or Equivalent
$5,033
Number of workers, Some College or Associate Degree
305,963
Total Regional additional wages
$1.5 Billion
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, JobsEQ and
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Certificates and Degrees
Top Certificates and Degrees, Alamo Region, 2017-18 School Year
| Certificates and Degrees | Number Awarded |
|---|---|
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences | 5,069 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 5,003 |
| Personal and Culinary Services | 1,445 |
| Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services | 1,388 |
| Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 740 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 714 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 550 |
| Security and Protective Services | 543 |
| Education | 492 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 393 |
Source: JobsEQ
Regional Employment Needs
Fastest growing Occupations, Alamo Region 2014 to 2019
| Occupation | Number Employed | Average Annual Wages | LQ | Number Unemployed | Unemployment Rate | Five-Year Employment Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction Workers | 6,003 | $42,300 | 3.33 | 291 | 4.5% | 235 |
| Plant and System Operators | 3,495 | $54,600 | 1.41 | 22 | 0.6% | 442 |
| Fishing and Hunting Workers | 239 | $15,100 | 1.37 | 18 | 7.1% | 21 |
| Helpers, Construction Trades | 2,499 | $30,800 | 1.3 | 200 | 7.4% | -114 |
| Supervisors of Construction and Extraction Workers | 6,823 | $63,000 | 1.29 | 187 | 2.6% | 735 |
Source: JobsEQ
The Alamo region’s community college districts awarded more than 5,000 certificates and associate degrees in the health professions in the 2017-18 school year; the next most-common award areas were general studies and liberal arts and personal and culinary services.
Spotlight
ALAMO COLLEGES DISTRICT
- The Alamo Colleges District (ACD) received the 2018 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, the most prestigious honor a higher education institution can achieve for excellence in innovation, efficiency and leadership.
- St. Philip’s College is the only college federally designated as both a historically black college and a Hispanic-serving institute.
- In fiscal 2017, ACD added $2.6 billion in income to its service region’s economy, equal to about 2.0 percent of the region’s gross product.
- The average ACD associate degree holder graduating in fiscal 2017 will see an increase in earnings of $9,400 annually compared to a high school graduate working in Texas.
Summary
Community colleges play a vital role for students and businesses by offering postsecondary education and job training at great value.
As the Alamo region’s two community college districts work to address local skills gaps and meet the specific needs of area employers, they support more than 7,000 jobs and add more than $816 million in economic output annually. Furthermore, the higher pay of those with some college or an associate degree helps raise total wages in the region nearly $1.5 billion per year.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.