Top 50 Best Certificate Programs in Texas by ROI

Every Certificate program in Texas ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in Texas

515

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$287,577

Across all Texas programs

Average Annual Cost

$22,157

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	Texas State Technical College Grad rate: 37.0%	Electrical and Power Transmission Installers.	+$901,430	$88,624	$20,011	$8,177	Full ROI →
2	Tarrant County College District Grad rate: 22.7%	Fire Protection.	+$803,000	$82,736	$11,720	N/A	Full ROI →
3	Dallas College Grad rate: 35.1%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$675,064	$77,214	$9,641	$14,500	Full ROI →
4	Odessa College Grad rate: 25.7%	Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology.	+$658,245	$75,528	$12,315	N/A	Full ROI →
5	San Jacinto Community College Grad rate: 33.3%	Physical Science Technologies/Technicians.	+$613,910	$73,445	$14,990	N/A	Full ROI →
6	Austin Community College District Grad rate: 16.1%	Accounting and Related Services.	+$582,941	$73,183	$11,156	$21,898	Full ROI →
7	Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$505,320	$67,266	N/A	N/A	Full ROI →
8	Lone Star College System Grad rate: 18.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$469,721	$66,817	$14,637	$8,875	Full ROI →
9	El Paso Community College Grad rate: 21.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$440,159	$64,645	$12,741	N/A	Full ROI →
10	Laredo College Grad rate: 33.5%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$428,997	$64,016	$11,323	N/A	Full ROI →
11	Galveston College Grad rate: 33.0%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$426,820	$65,115	$14,555	$15,500	Full ROI →
12	Southern Methodist University Grad rate: 82.8%	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.	+$416,748	$66,964	$82,532	N/A	Full ROI →
13	Austin Community College District Grad rate: 16.1%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$403,418	$63,522	$11,156	$11,752	Full ROI →
14	San Jacinto Community College Grad rate: 33.3%	Fire Protection.	+$402,730	$62,886	$14,990	N/A	Full ROI →
15	University of Phoenix-Texas Grad rate: 12.2%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$387,327	$62,239	N/A	$12,928	Full ROI →
16	Panola College Grad rate: 39.1%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	+$380,470	$61,671	$12,950	N/A	Full ROI →
17	Lone Star College System Grad rate: 18.3%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$373,917	$62,186	$14,637	$11,234	Full ROI →
18	Lamar Institute of Technology Grad rate: 27.4%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$351,481	$61,315	$14,139	$15,318	Full ROI →
19	Texas State Technical College Grad rate: 37.0%	Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.	+$336,949	$59,848	$20,011	N/A	Full ROI →
20	Austin Community College District Grad rate: 16.1%	Computer Programming.	+$336,071	$60,809	$11,156	$21,446	Full ROI →
21	Tarrant County College District Grad rate: 22.7%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$327,100	$58,941	$11,720	N/A	Full ROI →
22	Lone Star College System Grad rate: 18.3%	Fire Protection.	+$326,423	$59,053	$14,637	N/A	Full ROI →
23	Lamson Institute Grad rate: 75.2%	Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR).	+$322,067	$60,219	$29,736	$9,316	Full ROI →
24	San Jacinto Community College Grad rate: 33.3%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$317,032	$59,563	$14,990	$14,250	Full ROI →
25	Austin Community College District Grad rate: 16.1%	Fire Protection.	+$315,087	$59,080	$11,156	$11,375	Full ROI →
26	Howard College Grad rate: 31.5%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$311,370	$59,256	$14,227	$14,461	Full ROI →
27	Navarro College Grad rate: 23.9%	Agricultural Mechanization.	+$304,241	$58,095	$17,659	N/A	Full ROI →
28	Houston Community College Grad rate: 17.0%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$293,818	$58,256	$12,065	$14,249	Full ROI →
29	Weatherford College Grad rate: 22.7%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$281,164	$57,554	$15,148	$10,939	Full ROI →
30	Odessa College Grad rate: 25.7%	Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians.	+$279,325	$56,582	$12,315	N/A	Full ROI →
31	Panola College Grad rate: 39.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$265,530	$55,924	$12,950	N/A	Full ROI →
32	Tarrant County College District Grad rate: 22.7%	Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies.	+$239,110	$55,689	$11,720	$17,000	Full ROI →
33	Tarrant County College District Grad rate: 22.7%	Computer and Information Sciences, General.	+$212,975	$54,063	$11,720	$12,270	Full ROI →
34	Austin Community College District Grad rate: 16.1%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$210,329	$54,323	$11,156	$18,500	Full ROI →
35	El Paso Community College Grad rate: 21.3%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$209,059	$53,090	$12,741	N/A	Full ROI →
36	Frank Phillips College Grad rate: 32.2%	Precision Metal Working.	+$205,713	$53,022	$14,727	N/A	Full ROI →
37	Tarrant County College District Grad rate: 22.7%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$182,113	$52,257	$11,720	$8,375	Full ROI →
38	McLennan Community College Grad rate: 33.5%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$172,038	$51,271	$13,382	N/A	Full ROI →
39	Wharton County Junior College Grad rate: 17.5%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$167,737	$51,498	$10,406	$8,753	Full ROI →
40	Tarrant County College District Grad rate: 22.7%	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians.	+$160,740	$50,623	$11,720	N/A	Full ROI →
41	Dallas College Grad rate: 35.1%	Design and Applied Arts.	+$153,839	$50,174	$9,641	N/A	Full ROI →
42	Houston Community College Grad rate: 17.0%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$153,656	$51,226	$12,065	$13,925	Full ROI →
43	University of Phoenix-Texas Grad rate: 12.2%	Human Resources Management and Services.	+$151,520	$50,439	N/A	$12,785	Full ROI →
44	Houston Community College Grad rate: 17.0%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$148,975	$50,052	$12,065	N/A	Full ROI →
45	Del Mar College Grad rate: 14.6%	Criminal Justice and Corrections.	+$147,518	$49,977	$12,022	N/A	Full ROI →
46	El Paso Community College Grad rate: 21.3%	Fire Protection.	+$144,699	$49,872	$12,741	N/A	Full ROI →
47	Austin Community College District Grad rate: 16.1%	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.	+$137,504	$49,433	$11,156	N/A	Full ROI →
48	Lone Star College System Grad rate: 18.3%	Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.	+$124,956	$49,879	$14,637	$13,323	Full ROI →
49	San Jacinto Community College Grad rate: 33.3%	Precision Metal Working.	+$120,690	$48,784	$14,990	N/A	Full ROI →
50	Wharton County Junior College Grad rate: 17.5%	Precision Metal Working.	+$120,314	$48,536	$10,406	N/A	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.