El Paso, Texas Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for El Paso, Texas shows: median public in-state tuition $9,744 (+76.8% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $50,923 (-6.3% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 89.2% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $11,000 (-18.1% vs U.S.) 50,606 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 11 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 50,606 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $9,744 (+76.8% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $50,923 (-6.3% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 89.2% (+1.2 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $15,578 (+56.3% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $11,000 (-18.1% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $11,012
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 65.5%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 78.9%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in El Paso, Texas—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Texas and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
El Paso vs Texas & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, Texas | $9,744 | $15,578 | $11,000 | 65.5% | 50,606 |
| Texas (state median) | $3,555 | $8,031 | $10,667 | 45.2% | 1,239,434 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: El Paso, Texas vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, Texas | $50,923 | 89.2% | 78.9% | 7.5% | — | 63.0% | 0.35 |
| Texas (state median) | $54,274 | 89.8% | 69.6% | 6.9% | — | 69.1% | 0.40 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Texas (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, Texas | $9,744 | $15,578 | $11,000 | 65.5% | 50,606 | $50,923 | 89.2% |
| Houston | $13,920 | $19,701 | $12,000 | 46.7% | 137,564 | $59,224 | 87.5% |
| San Antonio | $11,707 | $20,465 | $9,500 | 50.5% | 111,767 | $56,844 | 90.7% |
| Austin | $23,500 | $21,991 | $9,120 | 44.6% | 82,274 | $59,854 | 89.8% |
| Dallas | $17,666 | $22,800 | $13,000 | 45.8% | 62,329 | $42,091 | 86.2% |
| Fort Worth | $11,934 | $24,181 | $15,500 | 31.5% | 57,100 | $61,238 | 90.7% |
| Denton | $9,974 | $15,649 | $19,218 | 54.9% | 43,336 | $56,777 | 90.6% |
| Lubbock | $20,196 | $21,763 | $12,618 | 60.0% | 35,638 | $62,454 | 92.4% |
| Arlington | $16,390 | $22,520 | $8,505 | 36.7% | 34,674 | $53,922 | 88.6% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 50.2%, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 89.2%, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 most selective colleges in El Paso, Texas (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 99.9%, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $74,285, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $103,286, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,978, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,575, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $50,923, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $168,872, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 most affordable colleges in El Paso, Texas (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $9,403, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
Top 10 colleges in El Paso, Texas by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 78.9%, The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso
In-state tuition: El Paso, Texas vs benchmarks
Sticker price
El Paso, Texas median in-state tuition is $9,744, +76.8% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: El Paso, Texas vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in El Paso, Texas is $11,000 (-18.1% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $11,012.
Median earnings (10 years out): El Paso, Texas vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in El Paso, Texas center around $50,923 (-6.3% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: El Paso, Texas vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 89.2% at the median El Paso, Texas campus (+1.2 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
El Paso, Texas median public in-state tuition is $9,744, about +76.8% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is +164.3%.
Median graduate debt is $11,000 (-18.1% below the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in El Paso, Texas are $50,923, about -6.3% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 89.2% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (+1.2 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 78.9% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 7.5% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 63.0% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include The University of Texas at El Paso (89.2%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in El Paso, Texas is 65.5% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in El Paso?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 11 campuses in El Paso, Texas with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in El Paso?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in El Paso is $9,744 and median net price is $15,578. For Texas overall, medians are $3,555 and $8,031; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in El Paso?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in El Paso is $50,923 vs $54,274 for Texas and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for El Paso colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in El Paso is $11,000 vs $10,667 for Texas and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in El Paso?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include The University of Texas at El Paso (graduation) and The University of Texas at El Paso (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in El Paso?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 11 campuses in El Paso, Texas, 11 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include El Paso Community College, Western Technical College, and Western Technical College.
Sources & related
- Texas college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON