Community CollegePublicHSI

Wharton County Junior College

Wharton, Texas·Public, 2-year·Southwest·wcjc.edu

Wharton County Junior College has open admission, so it admits all applicants who meet basic requirements (effectively a 100% acceptance rate). 27% of students graduate within 150% of normal time (3 years for an associate degree), per 2024 IPEDS data. In-district tuition and fees are $3,192 and out-of-state tuition and fees are $5,904 (2024). Fall enrollment is 5,504 students, and 7,329 enrolled over the full 12-month year (2024). Source: IPEDS.

Acceptance
100%
Open admission
Graduation (150% time)
27%
—
Total enrollment
5,504
peer median 5,274
Avg net price
$4,666
-$1.2k vs Community College
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AboutOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeResearch fundingDocumentsAlumni

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.

IPEDS
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.

FVT/GE

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.

DAPIP
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.

College Scorecard

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-district tuition and fees
$3,192
Out-of-state tuition and fees
$5,904

Federal aid volume & trends

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

Federal Student Aid

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.

Cohort Default Rate

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.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs47
UndergraduateOffered

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.

IPEDS
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.

EADA
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.

Clery Act
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.

    IPEDS
    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.

    IPEDS
    6-yr gradRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    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
    		—Open admission5,504$4,666Community College
    Alvin Community College
    		—Open admission5,872$8,525Community College
    Angelina College
    		—Open admission3,890$7,773Community College
    Brazosport College
    		—Open admission3,812$4,732Baccalaureate
    Cisco College
    		—Open admission3,160$9,624Community College
    Coastal Bend College
    		—Open admission4,259$4,237Community College
    College of the Mainland
    		—Open admission5,127$1,342Community College
    Grayson College
    		—Open admission4,324$5,880Community College
    Hill College
    		—Open admission4,158$7,577Community College
    Kilgore College
    		—Open admission7,198$5,364Community College
    Lee College
    		—Open admission8,323$6,879Community College
    McLennan Community College
    		—Open admission7,850$5,051Community College
    Midland College
    		—Open admission5,690$4,512Baccalaureate
    Odessa College
    		—Open admission9,981$6,368Community College
    Paris Junior College
    		—Open admission4,533$7,690Community College
    Temple College
    		—Open admission5,274$10,682Community College
    Texarkana College
    		—Open admission4,290$8,812Community College
    Texas Southmost College
    		—Open admission8,828$3,085Community College
    Trinity Valley Community College
    		—Open admission5,961$4,092Community College
    Victoria College
    		—Open admission3,276$3,043Community College
    Weatherford College
    		—Open admission6,520$9,967Community College
    Peer group median——5,274$5,880

    Institutions like Wharton County Junior College

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

    IPEDS
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Alvin Community College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      5,872
      Net price
      $8,525
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Angelina College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      3,890
      Net price
      $7,773
    • BaccalaureateTexas

      Brazosport College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      3,812
      Net price
      $4,732
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Cisco College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      3,160
      Net price
      $9,624
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Coastal Bend College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      4,259
      Net price
      $4,237
    • Community CollegeTexas

      College of the Mainland

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      5,127
      Net price
      $1,342
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Grayson College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      4,324
      Net price
      $5,880
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Hill College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      4,158
      Net price
      $7,577
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Kilgore College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      7,198
      Net price
      $5,364
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Lee College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      8,323
      Net price
      $6,879
    • Community CollegeTexas

      McLennan Community College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      7,850
      Net price
      $5,051
    • BaccalaureateTexas

      Midland College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      5,690
      Net price
      $4,512
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Odessa College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      9,981
      Net price
      $6,368
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Paris Junior College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      4,533
      Net price
      $7,690
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Temple College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      5,274
      Net price
      $10,682
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Texarkana College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      4,290
      Net price
      $8,812
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Texas Southmost College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      8,828
      Net price
      $3,085
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Trinity Valley Community College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      5,961
      Net price
      $4,092
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Victoria College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      3,276
      Net price
      $3,043
    • Community CollegeTexas

      Weatherford College

      Grad rate
      —
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      6,520
      Net price
      $9,967

    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.

    NSF
    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 acceptance rate at Wharton County Junior College?

    Wharton County Junior College has an open admission policy, so it admits all applicants who meet basic requirements (effectively a 100% acceptance rate). Some programs, such as nursing, may have separate selective admission. IPEDS does not collect an admit rate for open-admission colleges.

    What is the graduation rate at Wharton County Junior College?

    At Wharton County Junior College, 27% of students graduate within 150% of normal time (3 years for an associate degree), per 2024 IPEDS data.

    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.

    IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    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.
    U.S. Department of Education
    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.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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