POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC)
and Del Mar College (DMC) are the two public
postsecondary education institutions in Corpus
Christi. In 2016, enrollments at these two insti-
tutions totaled roughly 22,000. The headcount
at TAMUCC has grown steadily since its intro-
duction of lower-division curriculum in 1994.
During that period, however, Del Mar College’s
headcount enrollment fluctuated along with
changes in regional economic conditions and
other regional factors. Total enrollment at TA-
MUCC began to exceed DMC’s in 2013. Today,
the headcount is roughly 12,000 at TAMUCC
and 11,000 at DMC.
The Craft Training Center (CTC) of the Coast-
al Bend also offers postsecondary training
programs. In 2016, the enrollment at CTC was
1,026, and it offered electrical and welding pro-
grams for 317 students in local high schools.
GRADUATION RATES
In 2016-2017, the 6-year graduation rate for the
2010 cohort of Del Mar College was 25.3%,
compared with the average of 32.2% for Tex-
as community colleges. The average time
to obtain an associate degree was 5 years,
compared with the state average of 4.4 years.
Among those first-time freshman students,
73% were placed as requiring developmen-
tal course work in one or more subjects. The
graduation rate of these students was 11.5%,
which was below the 27.3% graduation rate of
other students.
In addition to graduates, 14% of DMC students
transferred to a 4-year institution. Among those
who graduated or transferred, nearly half of
them (49%) entered TAMUCC.
For TAMUCC, the 6-year graduation rate was
43.3% for the Fall 2010 FTIC cohort, compared
with the 59.3% Texas average. The corre-
sponding 4-year graduation rate was 20.4%,
compared with the 31.2% statewide average.
The average time to graduate was 5.1 years,
compared with 4.9 years statewide. The share
of graduates who found employment or en-
rolled in graduate school was 79%, which was
slightly higher the statewide average of 78%.
The 6-year graduation rate of those students
who had enrolled in Developmental Education
courses was much lower at 25.6%, compared
with 41.9% for those who did not require De-
velopmental Education. International students
had the highest graduation rate at 67%. Among
the major ethnic/race groups, Asians had the
highest graduation rate at 51.9%, followed by
43.5% for Whites.
COLLEGE DEGREE ATTAINMENT
Academic performance of students in Cor-
pus Christi’s public education system affects
the area’s overall educational attainment and
workforce skills. According to the latest (2015)
Census data, the share of the local adult popu-
lation (25 years and older) with a college de-
gree is 28.4%, compared to 37.8% nationwide.
The share of high school graduates in Corpus
Christi, however, is on par with the national
average at roughly 28%. This implies an edu-
cational gap specifically at the postsecondary
rather than grade school level.
60X30 GAP
The share of Corpus Christi population ages
25 to 34 with a certificate or degree was 37
percent in 2015. The benchmarks for reaching
the statewide 60x30 goal are 48 percent by
2020 and 54 percent by 2025. To achieve the
goal of 60x30 locally would mean a total of
more than 6,700 individuals with a postsecond-
ary credential by 2030.
REFERENCE
“Corpus Christi Education Report,” South Texas
Economic Development Center, Texas A&M
University-Corpus Christi, 2017.
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