Anabell Cardona President and CEO | Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies
Anabell Cardona President and CEO | Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies
Data shows that students paid $7,699 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $13 more than the previous school year.
Among the 15 institutions in the county, Rio Grande Valley College stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $27,400. Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies followed with an average of $24,451 per year. South Texas College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $4,530.
At the time, at least $70.3 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Hidalgo County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $11.3 million.
Currently there are 15 higher education institutions in Hidalgo County, including Mission Beauty Institute, Vogue College of Cosmetology-McAllen, and Southern Texas Careers Academy.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-La Joya | 7 | $20,800 | $2,971 | 5 | $8,600 | $1,720 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-McAllen Campus | 388 | $2,221,694 | $5,726 | 375 | $2,565,790 | $6,842 |
| Advanced Barber College and Hair Design | 148 | $777,280 | $5,252 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Rio Grande Valley College | 127 | $657,680 | $5,179 | 118 | $735,834 | $6,236 |
| Southern Texas Careers Academy | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| MCI | 106 | $522,757 | $4,932 | 100 | $1,000,003 | $10,000 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco | 240 | $1,446,116 | $6,025 | 231 | $1,786,450 | $7,734 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 4,221 | $48,461,793 | $11,481 | 637 | $2,445,432 | $3,839 |
| UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-McAllen | 7 | $36,460 | $5,209 | 7 | $39,805 | $5,686 |
| GA Beauty & Barber School | 90 | $327,170 | $3,635 | 50 | $94,551 | $1,891 |
| Southern Careers Institute-Pharr | 402 | $1,921,531 | $4,780 | 341 | $2,193,628 | $6,433 |
| Mission Beauty Institute | 5 | $24,469 | $4,894 | 5 | $30,924 | $6,185 |
| Vogue College of Cosmetology-McAllen | 10 | $55,081 | $5,508 | 10 | $63,893 | $6,389 |
| Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies | 94 | $595,101 | $6,331 | 42 | $275,290 | $6,555 |
| South Texas College | 2,089 | $13,273,928 | $6,354 | 34 | $91,307 | $2,686 |
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