Data shows that students paid $6,850 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $18 more than the previous school year.
Among the 10 institutions providing full disclosure in the county, the Montana Barber Institute stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $18,653. Pima Medical Institute-El Paso followed with an average of $16,355 per year. El Paso Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $3,316.
At the time, at least $46.4 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the El Paso County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $13.7 million.
Currently there are 11 higher education institutions in El Paso County, including Pima Medical Institute-El Paso, El Paso Community College, and Pipo Academy of Hair Design.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 11 institutions in El Paso County, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso did not provide detailed data on tuition fees.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pima Medical Institute-El Paso | 155 | $757,290 | $4,886 | 194 | $1,540,025 | $7,938 |
| Tri-State Cosmetology Institute | 43 | $233,239 | $5,424 | 41 | $226,510 | $5,525 |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Southwest University at El Paso | 678 | $4,461,898 | $6,581 | 626 | $6,798,354 | $10,860 |
| Pipo Academy of Hair Design | 6 | $31,028 | $5,171 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | 2,368 | $21,414,877 | $9,043 | 629 | $2,774,090 | $4,410 |
| El Paso Community College | 2,085 | $17,478,551 | $8,383 | 50 | $200,315 | $4,006 |
| CET-El Paso | 42 | $231,148 | $5,504 | 42 | $292,594 | $6,967 |
| Western Technical College | 415 | $568,116 | $1,369 | 208 | $368,894 | $1,774 |
| Montana Barber Institute | 8 | $25,278 | $3,160 | 6 | $22,523 | $3,754 |
| Milan Institute of Cosmetology-El Paso | 322 | $1,149,237 | $3,569 | 292 | $1,484,787 | $5,085 |
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