North Coastal News

Victoria County's four universities admitted an estimated 82% of applicants for fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who were admitted, 13% enrolled.

Of the four institutions in the county, University of Houston-Victoria was the only one that provided detailed enrollment data at the time.

At least 1,970 people applied to Victoria County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.

NCES data shows that among them, around 7,230 students enrolled in the universities, including 6,018 in undergraduate and 1,212 in graduate programs. In total 7.9% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.

The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of Hispanic (49.3%) and white (31.5%) students.

Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, University of Houston-Victoria stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 4,057 students.

U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.

This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.

Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.

Institution	# of Applicants	# of Admitted Students	Total Enrollment
Victoria College	--	--	3,064
Victoria Beauty & Barber College	--	--	94
University of Houston-Victoria	1,970	1,615	4,057
Manuel and Theresa's School of Hair Design-Victoria	--	--	15