Lone Star College System is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in The Woodlands, Texas. It enrolls 45,188 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
56/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes19
Value60
Affordability40
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Lone Star College System does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $11,252 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$3,330
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$9,390
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,756
Books & Supplies
$2,550
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,084
Total Cost of Attendance
$15,521
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$10,657
$30,001 – $48,000
$11,515
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,128
$75,001 – $110,000
$13,120
Over $110,000
$14,572
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,75010%percentile
$3,15225%percentile
$8,600Medianpercentile
$9,50075%percentile
$18,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $6,000
↓ $2,600
No Pell $5,250
↓ $3,350
Dependent students $4,749
↓ $3,851
Independent students $7,654
↓ $946
Female students $5,500
↓ $3,100
Male students $5,250
↓ $3,350
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,250, less than completers ($8,600), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
13% of students who start here finish within six years. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
13%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $42,466 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$42,466
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$36,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$50,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$38,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$44,100
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$51,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $13,800, about 27% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
16.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 66% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 45,188 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 51% are the first in their family to go to college, and 64% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
45,188
Part-Time
64%
First-Generation
51%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 46.2%20,886
White 21.4%9,670
Black 14.9%6,751
Asian 6.4%2,883
International 4.5%2,042
Other 3.7%1,681
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Lone Star College System. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Lone Star College System offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
80 distinct programs across
24 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 22 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
22:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$4,147
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$23M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$70,676
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
869 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
652
75%
$75,535
Associate Professors
117
13%
$58,930
Assistant Professors
52
6%
$57,680
Instructors
6
1%
$37,842
No Rank
42
5%
$55,850
Pros & Cons of Lone Star College System
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Lone Star College System is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Lone Star College System is a fit for
working adults or students needing part-time study options; students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lone Star College System
The questions families ask most about Lone Star College System, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
How much does Lone Star College System cost?
Budget around $11,252 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lone Star College System worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,466 a year against a net price of $11,252, about 3.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Lone Star College System known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Business, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Lone Star College System graduates earn?
About $42,466 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lone Star College System accredited?
Yes. Lone Star College System is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Lone Star College System?
45,188 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Lone Star College System?
13% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Lone Star College System a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Lone Star College System located?
Lone Star College System is located in The Woodlands, Texas.
What programs does Lone Star College System offer?
80 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Business, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Lone Star College System?
22 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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