Howard College

1001 Birdwell Lane
Big Spring, TX 79720

We are a progressive and public community college dedicated to providing students with dynamic centers of learning and promoting economic and community development while being resourceful and fiscally responsible.

School Highlights

Howard College serves 4,293 students (28% of students are full-time).

The college's student:teacher ratio of 15:1 is lower than the state community college average of 17:1.

Minority enrollment is 58% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 71%.

The teacher population of 281 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.

	Howard College	(TX) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification	Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-High Nontraditional	Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-High Traditional
Institution Level	At least 2 but less than 4 years	At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control	Public	Public
Total Faculty	281 staff	262 staff

School Calendar	Link to School Calendar

The student population of Howard College has grown by 14% over five years.

The student:teacher ratio of 15:1 has decreased from 31:1 over five years.

The Howard College diversity score of 0.57 is less than the state average of 0.68. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.

Total Enrollment	4,293 students	4,831 students

Student : Teacher Ratio	15:1	17:1

# Full-Time Students	1,197 students	1,371 students

# Part-Time Students	3,096 students	3,460 students


Total Dormitory Capacity	252 students	251 students

% Asian	1%	5%

% Hispanic	50%	47%

% Black	3%	12%

% White	42%	29%

% Two or more races	3%	3%

% Unknown races	1%	2%

Diversity Score	0.57	0.68

College Completion Rate	29%	24%

Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)	$33,400	$34,600

The public in-state tuition of $3,512 is less than the state average of $4,287. The in-state tuition has declined by 11% over four years.

The public out-state tuition of $5,142 is less than the state average of $6,528. The out-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.

In-State Tuition Fees	$3,512	$4,287

Out-State Tuition Fees	$5,142	$6,528

% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid	87%	82%

Median Debt for Graduates	$8,205	$10,500

Median Debt for Dropouts	$5,000	$5,500

Source: 2020 (or latest year available) IPEDS

The Howard County Junior College District was created by a county-wide vote on November 17, 1945. Seven citizens of Howard County were elected on that same ballot to serve as a Board of Trustees. Howard College was first housed two miles west of downtown Big Spring in the hospital area of the former Air Force Bombardier School. The first session began on September 30, 1946. On September 12, 1951, the college was moved to a one hundred acre campus located in southeast Big Spring. On November 6, 1979, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to establish the SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf as a part of the Howard County Junior College District. The first classes offered through this program began on August 25, 1980. Howard College/Big Spring physical facilities are located on a spacious campus. The 120-acre campus contains an administration-classroom complex, a two-story science building, a 14,000 square foot library building, a fitness center, a student union building, a music building, a practical arts building, an applied science center, a 28,000 square foot occupational building, residence halls for men and women, a 90,000 square foot coliseum complex, a baseball park, a softball park, and a football stadium with a seating capacity of ten thousand, utilized and maintained by the Big Spring Independent School District. Howard College is accredited by The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees.

The nearest community college to Howard College is Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf (1.9 miles away).