South Texas College

McAllen, TX · Public · 16,131 students · Visit Website

South Texas College offers hands-on training in high-demand fields like nursing, allied health, precision manufacturing, and automotive technology. Many programs emphasize practical skills development in labs designed to simulate real-world work environments. The college also provides various apprenticeship opportunities, allowing students to earn wages, gain college credit, and build industry connections.

Programs Analyzed

21

Avg Grad Earnings

$29,502/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

57/100

Tuition (In-State)

$4,920/yr
Out-of-state: $7,500/yr

All Programs at South Texas College

21 trade programs at South Texas College, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.

Program Score Earnings Debt 10yr ROI AI Risk Job Market
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
85 $75,733/yr 84.8x High Very Large
292 openings/yr
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
84 $49,125/yr 98.8x Moderate Very Large
480 openings/yr
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
72 $68,727/yr 68.7x Moderate Very Large
124 openings/yr
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
71 $33,171/yr 80.4x Low Very Large
258 openings/yr
Health Administration
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
63 $25,817/yr 51.5x High Very Large
729 openings/yr
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
61 $26,091/yr 84.0x Low Very Large
214 openings/yr
Business
Business/Commerce, General
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
61 $24,738/yr 34.3x High Very Large
832 openings/yr
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
60 $24,084/yr 29.4x Low Very Large
789 openings/yr
Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
58 $26,755/yr 36.9x Very High Very Large
338 openings/yr
Medical Assisting
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
57 $32,084/yr 34.0x Moderate Very Large
252 openings/yr
Electrical Installation
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
56 $20,150/yr 61.7x Low Very Large
230 openings/yr
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
53 $24,265/yr 85.1x Low Very Large
164 openings/yr
Human Development & Family Studies
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
Compare nationwide →
50 $19,971/yr 21.6x High Very Large
297 openings/yr
Teacher Education
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
50 $16,902/yr 33.2x High Very Large
412 openings/yr
Business Operations Support
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
50 $16,475/yr 32.5x Very High Very Large
1,381 openings/yr
HVAC Technology
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
48 $25,711/yr 56.2x Low Large
40 openings/yr
Biology
Biology, General
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
47 $28,791/yr 34.2x High Very Large
113 openings/yr
Health & Physical Education
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
Compare nationwide →
47 $22,699/yr 42.8x Moderate Very Large
128 openings/yr
Psychology
Psychology, General
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
42 $19,552/yr 30.8x High Very Large
125 openings/yr
Social Work
Compare nationwide →
41 $18,336/yr 36.8x Moderate Very Large
116 openings/yr
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Compare nationwide →
Compare in TX →
37 $20,366/yr 33.1x Low Medium
13 openings/yr

Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.

More Trade Schools in Texas

Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Texas, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.

View all trade schools in Texas →

Apprenticeship Pathways in Texas

Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Texas. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.

Browse all apprenticeship trades →

Trade Schools Near McAllen

Other cities in Texas with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from McAllen.

About This Data

TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 21 trade and vocational programs at South Texas College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).

The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2026.