Anabell Cardona President and CEO | Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies
Anabell Cardona President and CEO | Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies
Of the 15 institutions in the county, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was the only one that provided detailed enrollment data at the time.
At least 13,744 people applied to Hidalgo County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 63,119 students enrolled in the universities, including 57,994 in undergraduate and 5,125 in graduate programs. Only 3.3% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of Hispanic (94.4%) and white (2.3%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 31,559 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies | -- | -- | 229 |
| UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-La Joya | -- | -- | 55 |
| Advanced Barber College and Hair Design | -- | -- | 134 |
| Rio Grande Valley College | -- | -- | 660 |
| UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-McAllen | -- | -- | 124 |
| Mission Beauty Institute | -- | -- | 47 |
| South Texas College | -- | -- | 27,894 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco | -- | -- | 409 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-McAllen Campus | -- | -- | 670 |
| Vogue College of Cosmetology-McAllen | -- | -- | 305 |
| Southern Careers Institute-Pharr | -- | -- | 645 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 13,744 | 12,095 | 31,559 |
| Southern Texas Careers Academy | -- | -- | 48 |
| MCI | -- | -- | 111 |
| GA Beauty & Barber School | -- | -- | 229 |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
!RECEIVE ALERTS
DONATE
Alerts Sign-up