Houston City College (HCC), formerly Houston Community College, is a public open-admission institution founded by local voters in 1971. It became independent of the Houston Independent School District in 1989, reorganized into a multi-college system in 1992 and adopted its current name in 2025. Its service area covers Houston ISD, Katy, Spring Branch and Alief school districts, Stafford and part of Missouri City in Fort Bend County. The network combines transfer study, applied degrees, technical training and adult learning across campuses that serve very different parts of the region.
Applying and choosing a course of study
New students begin with HCC’s online application, provide requested residency and academic information, complete orientation and follow placement or program-specific steps. Open admission does not guarantee a seat in a selective health or workforce program; those tracks can require prerequisites, tests and a second application. HCC offers associate degrees, certificates, workforce credentials and selected bachelor’s programs. The catalog identifies the credits, course order and expected length for each credential, so compare the plan with work and family schedules before registering. Start with the admissions checklist and confirm the home college and class location with an adviser.
Tuition for 2026–27
HCC’s published schedule lists $84.50 per semester credit hour for in-district students, $180.50 for out-of-district students and $227 for out-of-state or international students. The in-district amount includes $33 tuition, a $25.50 general fee, $25 technology fee and $1 student-activity fee per credit; the activity fee is capped at $12. A $6 recreation fee is charged each semester. Online Anytime and scheduled online courses carry a $42 distance-education fee per course, and in-person or hybrid classes at Katy have a $5-per-credit building-use fee. Minimum charges, repeat-course rules, labs and credentials can change the bill. Use the current calculator and fee table rather than multiplying the headline rate alone.
Financial aid and English-language routes
Students can file FAFSA, review state and institutional aid, and ask about scholarships and payment plans. Residency and program status affect eligibility, and HCC’s Eagle Promise has its own conditions rather than applying automatically to every new student. English learners have more than one entry point. Adult Education and Literacy offers ESL and high-school-equivalency preparation; HCC also has continuing-education English skills classes and credit-bearing ESOL for students preparing for regular college work. Intensive English courses are offered in progressive levels, with a co-requisite option for students placed into supported college composition. Ask whether the class carries credit, what placement or orientation it requires, and how it connects to the certificate or degree you want. Compare the English programs before selecting a schedule.
Finding a campus that fits
HCC’s six academic colleges and Global Online organize learning across 19 campus locations listed by the institution. Central is the historic Midtown hub, with an additional South Campus; Coleman specializes in health sciences and has its Medical Center campus plus a Midtown location for prerequisites and selected training. Northeast serves the north and east with public safety, transportation and energy programs; Northwest covers Alief, Katy and Spring Branch; Southeast links Eastside and Felix Fraga; Southwest serves southwest Houston, Stafford and Missouri City. The pages below separate these college-level profiles and list the locations beneath each one, so a reader can compare the nearest address with the field of study.
Facilities and transportation vary by site. Central identifies a parking garage, theater, culinary center and student wellness facilities; Northeast lists adult education, a computer lab and specialized public-safety training buildings; Southeast’s Eastside campus has a covered parking garage, and Coleman’s parking instructions distinguish Medical Center contract lots from a park-and-ride option at Central. Check the campus page and use Houston METRO’s trip planner for current bus and rail service. A program may use more than one site, so verify the address printed on each class section before paying or arranging a commute.
Check current details and choose according to your budget, time and way of travelling.
Options to compare
These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.
Houston City College — Central College
1300 Holman St, Houston, TX 77004
Central is HCC’s original academic division and its main Midtown campus places students along Houston’s arts corridor, between downtown’s theaters and the Museum District. The Central Campus is not one building: the official directory lists the San Jacinto Memorial Building, Fine Arts Center, Heinen
Historic Midtown academic hub for transfer, career, fine arts, fashion, culinary study and student wellness.
Houston City College — Coleman College for Health Sciences
1900 Pressler St, Houston, TX 77030
Coleman College for Health Sciences opened in 2004 and concentrates HCC’s health-care education in the Texas Medical Center. It offers associate degrees and certificates in more than 20 clinical and allied-health fields, including nursing, patient care and therapeutic services. The building is desig
More than 20 health-care degree and certificate pathways in the Texas Medical Center, with evening prerequisites at Midtown.
Houston City College — Northeast College
555 Community College Dr, Houston, TX 77013
HCC Northeast is a five-location academic division serving north and northeast Houston. Its main campus on Community College Drive includes Codwell Hall, a Learning Hub, science and technology classrooms, a truck-driving center and specialized public-safety training structures. The college’s regiona
North Houston network for public safety, transportation, energy, adult education, certificates and transfer courses.
Houston City College — Northwest College
2811 Hayes Rd, Houston, TX 77082
HCC Northwest began with classes in the Cy-Fair area in 1976 and now serves Alief, Katy, Spring Branch and parts of the Houston district from five west-side locations. Its centers of excellence focus on engineering, media, visual and performing arts, while the college also offers business, digital t
West Houston academic network serving Alief, Katy and Spring Branch, with engineering, media, arts and career programs.
Houston City College — Southeast College
6815 Rustic St, Houston, TX 77087
HCC Southeast serves Houston’s southeast side through the Eastside and Felix Fraga campuses. The college describes concentrations in materials science, logistics and global supply-chain management, and education professions. Programs span workforce training and academic pathways, including manufactu
Two southeast campuses for logistics, materials science, education, science and technology programs.
Houston City College — Southwest College
5601 W Loop S, Houston, TX 77081
HCC Southwest grew into a four-location college serving southwest Houston and Fort Bend communities. Its sites are West Loop, Brays Oaks, Missouri City and Stafford, with course delivery shaped by local employers and regional workforce needs. The division offers associate-degree transfer routes, sho
Four southwest-area locations for health, business, technology, applied training and an applied bachelor’s in AI and robotics.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of Houston City College — Central College ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
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Official website of Houston City College — Central College ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Central College ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Coleman College for Health Sciences ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Coleman College for Health Sciences ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Coleman College for Health Sciences ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Northeast College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Northeast College ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Northeast College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Northwest College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Northwest College ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Northwest College ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Southeast College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Southeast College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Southeast College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Southwest College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Southwest College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Houston City College — Southwest College ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
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Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
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Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County · Accessed October 27, 2026
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Houston City College · Accessed October 27, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.