Affordable Alternatives to Houston City College
Open-data reference.
We found 12 schools structurally similar to Houston City College that cost less. 12 offer comparable or better earnings outcomes.
Your School
Houston, Texas · Public
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Alternatives to Houston City College
Houston City College posts an average net price of $5,737 after grants and scholarships, the IPEDS-derived figure used to anchor this alternatives search. We screened institutions in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for colleges that report a lower net price and share structural similarity with Houston City College across six dimensions – ownership sector, Carnegie classification, undergraduate enrollment, admission rate, former-student earnings, and completion rate. 12 institutions cleared a 40-percent similarity threshold.
The maximum possible savings across this list is $8,033, achieved by Moorpark College at -$2,296. Of greater interest to ROI-focused applicants: 12 of the 12 alternatives also report median 10-year earnings at or above Houston City College’s $39,254, meaning lower cost is not paired with lower earnings. The mean median-earnings figure across alternatives is $45,880.
The similarity scoring gives enrollment size, Carnegie classification, and ownership sector the highest weights as transparent structural matching choices. Admission and completion rates are secondary features, while net price determines which lower-cost matches appear. Net price is the average cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients; it describes that source cohort, not the aid a typical admitted student or any individual family will receive. It is more informative than sticker tuition for that cohort but is not a personalized quote.
Similar Schools That Cost Less
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Institution-level earnings + cost-of-attendance file · Institution data retrieved July 2026 Institution earnings use federally aided entry cohorts and are not graduate-only; net price is the cohort average for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients.
A negative College Scorecard net price means the institution reported average grant and scholarship aid above its cost-of-attendance estimate for the covered first-time, full-time aid recipients. It is a cohort average, not a promise that every student is paid to attend.
| School | Net Price | Savings | Earnings (10yr) | Graduation | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY · Public Better Value | $4,458 | -$1,279 | $44,214 | 23.5% | 60% |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA · Public Better Value | $3,864 | -$1,873 | $43,937 | 44.3% | 58% |
| Hartnell College Salinas, CA · Public Better Value | $2,039 | -$3,698 | $44,316 | 34.8% | 55% |
| Santiago Canyon College Orange, CA · Public Better Value | $2,129 | -$3,608 | $44,956 | 47.4% | 53% |
| Las Positas College Livermore, CA · Public Better Value | $5,377 | -$360 | $51,088 | 50.7% | 47% |
| Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY · Public Better Value | $5,258 | -$479 | $49,907 | 26.7% | 47% |
| Moorpark College Moorpark, CA · Public Better Value | -$2,296 | -$8,033 | $49,044 | 43.5% | 47% |
| Midland College Midland, TX · Public Better Value | $4,512 | -$1,225 | $43,958 | 19.8% | 47% |
| University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus Gallup, NM · Public Better Value | $4,868 | -$869 | $44,792 | 19.5% | 45% |
| University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus Los Lunas, NM · Public Better Value | $5,714 | -$23 | $44,792 | 20.0% | 44% |
| Kapiolani Community College Honolulu, HI · Public Better Value | $5,202 | -$535 | $44,599 | 21.2% | 43% |
| Wharton County Junior College Wharton, TX · Public Better Value | $4,666 | -$1,071 | $44,960 | 23.5% | 40% |
Top Similar Alternatives
Quick picks from the full list – compare any two schools side by side
How We Match Schools
Our similarity engine compares schools across six dimensions: institution type (Carnegie classification), ownership (public/private), enrollment size, admission selectivity, former-student earnings, and completion rates. Each dimension is weighted by its impact on student outcomes.
Only schools with a lower average net price than Houston City College are shown. Schools marked "Better Value" have comparable or higher median earnings at a lower cost.
Data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median values 10 years after enrollment, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records. Net price is the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students, as reported through IPEDS.
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Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.