Higher Education and the Texas Economy
Data about Higher Education in Texas
(from Temple Daily Telegram, page 4A, Monday November 13, 2006)

• Soon after the Republic of Texas was formed public education for children began to be developed and by 1840, the first institution had been established.


• Preliminary data for Texas shows that the number of students taking college courses this semester (Fall 2006) exceeds last Fall’s (2005) by more than 27,200.


• The 1.21 million students currently in college and universities, both public and private, is about 2.3 percent more than in the Fall 2005.


• 80% of the aggregate enrollment growth this Fall is in two-year schools. Public community colleges/state/technical colleges and independent junior college added 19,793. These institutions now provide more than 48% of the higher education opportunities throughout Texas.


• Among public colleges, enrollment ranges from 49,728 (The University of Texas) to 968 (Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College), student body sizes in independent institutions varies from 14,040 (Baylor University) to 44 (College of St. Thomas More).


• The enrollment in various medical, dental, and health-related entities available across the state is now at 16,228 in public institutions and 2,769 in private schools.


• Numerous studies completed through the years note the positive impact of higher education on both state and local economies. General revenue and local property taxes provide the public higher education system with approximately $6 billion annually. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts estimates that for every $1 spent by the state to educate our youth beyond the high school level, the return to the Texas economy is about $5.50.


• Additionally, the spending and respending of salaries, as well as monies made available by students, endowments, grants, research and health care provides about one-third 1/3 of the more than $33.2 billion the state economy receives each year through higher education. The remainder is generated by greater earnings and productivity by graduates.


• Higher education is also providing advantageous to individuals as the National Association of College and Employers recently reported that business are expecting to hire 17.4 percent more college graduates in 2007 than in 2006. Entry level salaries are also expected to increase in all fields especially the “money-making” fields: chemical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering and computer sciences.


• Opportunities continue to expand for liberal arts graduates entering the workforce (lower pay scale).


• Even though higher education enrollment continues to increase, this years hike (twice the gain from 2004 – 2005) is less than the growth rate the state experienced during the same period.


• Greater numbers of students will need to enroll in the more than 140 higher education opportunities if Texas is to truly “close the gap” by 2015 with a target of higher education participation of 1.6 million.