Community CollegePublicHSI

Wharton County Junior College

Wharton, Texas·Public, 2-year·Southwest·wcjc.edu
6-yr Graduation
27%
Total enrollment
5,504
peer median 5,274
Avg net price
$4,666
-$1.2k vs Community College
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About

Wharton County Junior College is a public, two-year community college located in Wharton, Texas, with four campuses in Wharton, Sugar Land, Richmond, and Bay City, as well as additional classes in El Campo. The college offers over 50 post-secondary educational programs, including associate degrees and workforce training, and has been educating the community for more than 75 years.

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
27%
Full-time retention
71%

Pell equity

0.4pp gap
Pell recipients
27%113 of 417
Non-Pell (all)
27%169 of 617
Subsidized loan, no Pell
10%22 of 221
No Federal Aid
37%147 of 396

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 60 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 53 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
60
Passing
7
11.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

60programs
  • Passing7 · 11.7%
  • No Data53 · 88.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
7
No data
53

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

7
Business/Commerce General
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+25.5%
$41,799 vs $33,298
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+34.8%
$44,877 vs $33,298
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+64.0%
$54,612 vs $33,298
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+132.3%
$77,355 vs $33,298
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+153.8%
$84,512 vs $33,298
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Science Technologies/Technicians
+165.8%
$88,510 vs $33,298
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Science Technologies/Technicians
+166.9%
$88,882 vs $33,298

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

7
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
Undergraduate Certificate · Personal And Culinary Services
26%
$6,000 debt · $22,910 earn
Business/Commerce General
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
21%
$8,842 debt · $41,799 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
18%
$8,000 debt · $44,877 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Undergraduate Certificate · Security And Protective Services
12%
$7,270 debt · $59,794 earn
Practical Nursing Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
Undergraduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
12%
$6,497 debt · $55,179 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
11%
$9,224 debt · $84,512 earn
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Science Technologies/Technicians
11%
$9,500 debt · $88,882 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1951Next review Jun 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 3

Action history · 10

  1. Jun 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Nov 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jan 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  4. Dec 2022Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Apr 2021Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$1,779
$30–48k$2,267
$48–75k$5,236
$75–110k$9,365
$110k+$10,787

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$4,666
-$1,214vs Community College median $5,880
Federal loans
16.3%
In-state tuition
$3,192
Out-of-state
$5,904

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 2,075 students received $10.5M in Pell grants, alongside $2.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,075
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$10.5M
$10,523,781 total
Direct Loans
$2.4M
763 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
20
2k
21
2k
22
2k
23
2k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.1M
394 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.3M
366 loan awards
Parent PLUS$16K
3 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 649 borrowers who entered repayment, 26 (4.0%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
4.0%
+1.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
649
Defaulted
26
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
5.1%
2017
8.6%
2018
9.1%
2019
4.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Wharton County Junior College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs47
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

902 total completions
01Liberal Arts
56863.0%
02Business
13314.7%
03Health Professions
11512.7%
04Science Technologies
353.9%
05Engineering Tech
273.0%
06Computer Sciences
121.3%
07Legal Professions
50.6%
08Mechanic
40.4%
09Family/Consumer Sci
20.2%
10Security/Protective
10.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
5,504
12-mo unduplicated
7,329
Undergraduate
7,329
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
42%3,069
Women
58%4,260

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
46.8%
White
22.9%
Asian
15.4%
Black
12.9%
Two or more
1.3%
Unknown
0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
Non-resident
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
81
49 M · 32 W
Women athletes
39.5%
Athletic aid
$479K
Total student aid
Budget
$927K
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$310K
$169K
Recruiting expense
$9K
$3K
Head-coach salaries
$14K
$14K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 3

Rodeo
18 M · 18 W
$350K
Baseball
31 M ·
$331K
Volleyball
· 14 W
$176K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 5,687 students

3-year trend

0.182 yrs ago0.181 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
2
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs20
    Liquor10

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    Student-to-faculty
    16.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    161

    Wharton County Junior College vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Wharton County Junior College selected for federal comparison reporting.

    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectWharton County Junior College
    27%5,504$4,666Community College
    5,872$8,525Community College
    3,890$7,773Community College
    3,812$4,732Baccalaureate
    3,160$9,624Community College
    4,259$4,237Community College
    5,127$1,342Community College
    4,324$5,880Community College
    4,158$7,577Community College
    7,198$5,364Community College
    8,323$6,879Community College
    7,850$5,051Community College
    5,690$4,512Baccalaureate
    9,981$6,368Community College
    4,533$7,690Community College
    5,274$10,682Community College
    4,290$8,812Community College
    8,828$3,085Community College
    5,961$4,092Community College
    3,276$3,043Community College
    6,520$9,967Community College
    Peer group median27%5,274$5,880

    Institutions like Wharton County Junior College

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Wharton County Junior College's comparison group.

    Wharton County Junior College Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Office
    Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Research
    Email
    IROffice [at] wcjc.edu
    Phone
    979-532-4560
    Address
    911 Boling Highway Wharton, TX 77488

    Our Offices of Institutional Effectiveness and Institutional Research ensure that WCJC achieves its goals through intentional, transparent, and data-driven strategies.

    Visit IR office page

    Research funding

    External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.

    USA Spending
    $13,482,075
    All sources
    $13,482,075

    Reports & documents (1)

    Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

    Notable alumni of Wharton County Junior College (1)

    A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

    • Tom McNeill

    Frequently asked questions about Wharton County Junior College

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Wharton County Junior College.

    What is the graduation rate at Wharton County Junior College?

    Wharton County Junior College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 27% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend Wharton County Junior College?

    Wharton County Junior College reports a total enrollment of 5,504 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Wharton County Junior College?

    The average net price at Wharton County Junior College is $4,666 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    Where is Wharton County Junior College located?

    Wharton County Junior College is located in Wharton, Texas 77488.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Wharton County Junior College?

    Wharton County Junior College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Research.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
    Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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