| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public community college (Grayson County Junior College District); campus-based, with a mostly online RN-to-BSN |
| Sites | 3 in Texas: Denison main campus, South Campus in Van Alstyne, and the West Extension at North Texas Regional Airport, Denison |
| Credentials | Certificates, occupational skills awards, associate degrees (AAS, AA, AS, AAT) and one bachelor’s degree (BSN) |
| Programs | 46 program areas in six pathways in the 2026-27 catalog |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC), for certificates, associate and baccalaureate degrees; reaffirmed 2022 |
| Federal aid | Yes; the college publishes federal cost-of-attendance budgets |
| 2026-27 tuition and fees | $100 a credit in-district, $150 out-of-district, $210 non-resident; nursing and viticulture courses cost more |
| Students | 4,324 undergraduates, 65% part-time (Niche, from federal data; year not shown; checked October 2026) |
| Founded | 1965, as Grayson County College; renamed Grayson College in 2012 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Grayson College: a public community college in Grayson County, Texas
Grayson College is the public community college for Grayson County and part of Fannin County, in North Texas. It opened in 1965 as Grayson County College and took its current name in 2012. Alongside transfer degrees, it runs career programs in health care, the building trades, cosmetology, culinary arts and truck driving, plus one bachelor’s degree, an RN-to-BSN for working nurses. Niche, using federal data, counts 4,324 undergraduates, 65% of them part-time.
Classes meet at three sites: the main campus in Denison, South Campus in Van Alstyne, and the West Extension at North Texas Regional Airport. Voters approved a $456.5 million bond in May 2024 for a ten-year building plan, including a Health Science Center the college plans to open in Fall 2027.
Career programs and where they are taught
The 2026-27 catalog lists 46 program areas in six pathways, many with a certificate, a shorter occupational skills award and a 60-credit AAS that build on each other. The table shows the main career programs and the 2026-27 in-district cost per credit, which includes required fees. We found no whole-program totals on the college pages we checked.
| Program | Credential | Length / starts | Where | Prepares for | 2026-27 in-district cost per credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing (RN) | AAS, 60 credits plus 11 prerequisite credits | 16- and 8-week sessions; fall class, apply by 1 April | Denison main campus | NCLEX-RN | $159 |
| Bridge to RN | AAS Nursing, 60 credits including 7 for prior licence or training | Traditional (from Fall 2026) or accelerated hybrid | Joins the ADN program | NCLEX-RN | $159 |
| Vocational Nursing (LVN) | Certificate, 42 credits | 12 months, August to July; full-time | South Campus, Van Alstyne only | NCLEX-PN | $100 |
| RN to BSN | BSN, 120 credits (32 for the RN licence) | About 1 year full-time; starts every 8 weeks | Online with some time in Denison | None (for licensed RNs) | $159 |
| Dental Assisting | Certificate, 35 credits; AAS, 60 | 9.5 months of dental coursework | Denison main campus | Texas RDA, DANB CDA | $100 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS, 60 credits | 1 year after prerequisites; summer start | Denison main campus | NBSTSA CST | $100 |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | AAS, 60 credits | Includes two clinical practicums | South Campus, Van Alstyne | ASCP BOC or AMT | $100 |
| EMT and Paramedic | EMT skills award (one semester); Paramedic certificate about 45 credits; AAS, 60 | Fixed sequence | Denison main campus | NREMT, Texas DSHS | $100 |
| Welding Technology | AAS, 60 credits; certificates of 19, 35 and 50 | – | Denison and Van Alstyne | Comprehensive exit exam | $100 |
| Electrical Technology | AAS, 60 credits; certificates of 27 and 45 | – | South Campus, Van Alstyne only | No licensing exam named | $100 |
| HVAC (HART) | AAS, 60 credits; Technician and Apprentice certificates | Some courses every third semester | Denison and Van Alstyne | Exit exam | $100 |
| Cosmetology / Class A Barber | Certificates, 33 credits / 1,000 hours each | About 32 weeks | Denison main campus salon | State board exam | $100 |
| Professional Truck Driving | Skills award, about 208 contact hours | Four weeks (2023 report) | West Extension, Denison | CDL | Not published |
| Culinary Arts | AAS, 60 credits; certificates of 24 and 39 | Practicum | Denison (catalog address) | ServSafe required | $100 |
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: ACEN for the ADN and the RN-to-BSN, CODA for dental assisting, NAACLS for medical laboratory technology, CAAHEP for surgical technology and the paramedic awards, the American Culinary Federation for culinary arts, and NAEYC for the Child Development AAS. Vocational Nursing and the ADN are approved by the Texas Board of Nursing. Radiologic Technology (a 64-credit AAS) is not on that list: its program page, last updated in July 2024, says it was seeking accreditation from JRCERT.
Computer science, criminal justice, music and theatre are taught as transfer degrees for students moving on to a university (music also has short audio engineering awards). Computer Aided Drafting and Design, offered in 2025-26, is not in the 2026-27 catalog.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree Nursing and the Bridge to RN
The ADN is 60 credits after 11 credits of prerequisites, taught in 16-week and 8-week sessions one after another. A fall class is chosen from applicants who have finished the nursing application, prerequisites and core courses by 1 April, and associate degree students must meet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) readiness. Since April 2026 a Bridge to RN lets LVNs, military medics and paramedics enter with 7 credits for prior training, through a transition semester or an accelerated hybrid format for people on 48/96 shifts.
Vocational Nursing
The 42-credit certificate runs for 12 months, August to July: two 16-week semesters, a 3-week minimester and an 8-week summer term. Students attend full-time, five days a week, and choose day or evening clinicals. All classes are at South Campus in Van Alstyne. Applicants with a criminal history are advised to ask the Texas Board of Nursing for a declaratory order before enrolling. Graduates who want to become RNs can return through the Bridge to RN.
Dental Assisting
Both the 35-credit certificate and the 60-credit AAS, which adds 25 academic credits, include 9.5 months of dental assisting courses. The program includes supervised clinical courses (DNTA 1460 and 2260) and extramural rotations in dental offices. Completers are eligible for the Texas Registered Dental Assistant exam and for the Certified Dental Assistant exam from the Dental Assisting National Board. The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Surgical Technology
Students first complete the prerequisite courses; the program itself then takes one year and starts each summer. It is taught in Denison, and clinical rotations are within a four-county radius, so expect some travel. The degree is 60 credits, and graduates are eligible for the national Certified Surgical Technologist exam given by the NBSTSA. Accreditation is through CAAHEP, the same body that accredits Grayson’s paramedic awards.
Welding and HVAC
Welding is taught in Denison and Van Alstyne. The Structural Welder Certificate (19 credits) is the shortest award; the Combination Welder Certificate (35) and the AAS go further, and the degree includes pipe welding. Every award ends with a comprehensive exit exam. HVAC, called Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology, is also on both campuses, with some courses offered only every third semester. The HART catalog page names several local heating and cooling employers.
Cosmetology and barbering
The Cosmetology and Class A Barber certificates are each 33 credits and 1,000 clock hours, about 32 weeks, in the salon in the Career and Technology Center in Denison. Shorter awards are Nail Technician (600 hours, one semester), Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist (750 hours, about seven months) and Cosmetology to Barber (300 hours, for licensed cosmetologists). A diploma or GED is required, though 11th-graders may start cosmetology. Each program ends with a final course passed at 70% or better and a mock state board.
Tuition and how students pay
The 2026-27 per-credit rates, which are unchanged from 2025-26, are set by residency: in-district means living in the Grayson County taxing district, and out-of-district means other Texas residents.
| 2026-27, per credit | In-district (Grayson County) | Out-of-district (Texas) | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $50 | $100 | $160 |
| Required fees (student service, general use, technology) | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| Total | $100 | $150 | $210 |
| Extra for nursing (RNSG, NURS) and viticulture (FDST) courses | +$59 | +$95 | +$155 |
| Course-materials bundle (students may opt out) | $29.50 plus tax | $29.50 plus tax | $29.50 plus tax |
Each semester also carries a $20 matriculation fee and a $6 student ID fee, and some courses add lab or supply fees. For a full-time, in-district student living on campus, the college’s 2026-27 cost-of-attendance budget is $19,444 for nine months, including housing and food; Niche puts the average net price after aid at $6,724 a year. Grayson takes federal financial aid, and its Texoma Promise program was expanded in September 2026 with a $1 million grant from the Greater Texas Foundation.
Open admission, with selective health programs
Anyone who meets the college’s basic requirements is admitted. Most health programs are different: the ADN, Vocational Nursing, surgical technology, radiologic technology, dental assisting, medical laboratory technology and EMS admit separate classes with their own applications and start dates. The ADN takes applications by 1 April for fall, surgical technology starts in summer, Vocational Nursing in August, and the RN-to-BSN every eight weeks.
Applicants with a criminal record should check licence eligibility early: nursing applicants are pointed to a Texas Board of Nursing declaratory order, radiography applicants to ARRT’s ethics review, and laboratory clinical placements depend on background checks and drug screens. South Campus offers day and evening classes, and high school students can take dual credit there.
Accreditation and results
Grayson College is accredited to award certificates, associate degrees and baccalaureate degrees by The Commission on Colleges and Universities, the new name of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) since 1 September 2026. The college says its accreditation was reaffirmed in 2022, and its Fifth-Year Interim Report is due in Fall 2027.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| ADN first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 88.79% (Texas 88.63%) | 2025, college program page |
| ADN first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 99.07%: 106 of 107 passed (Texas 92.76%) | 2024, Texas Board of Nursing and college |
| ADN first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 85.98% (Texas 91.15%) | 2023, college program page |
| ADN job placement | 97% (2024), 96% (2025) | By graduation year, college program page; measurement window not stated |
| Graduation rate, whole college | 40% | Federal data as shown by Niche, checked October 2026; cohort year not shown |
The college’s Vocational Nursing page shows no NCLEX-PN pass rate, and we found no published exam or job results for the other health programs on the pages we checked.
Before you enroll
- Vocational Nursing and Electrical Technology are taught only at South Campus in Van Alstyne, and the ADN only in Denison. Check where your program meets before you plan travel.
- Nursing courses cost more than the headline rate: an RNSG credit is $159 in-district, $245 out-of-district and $365 for non-residents in 2026-27.
- Radiologic Technology is not on the college’s programmatic accreditation list; its program page said in July 2024 that it was seeking JRCERT accreditation. Ask about its current status before you apply.
- The Electrical Technology catalog page names no licensing exam, so plan for any apprenticeship or licence steps separately.
- The college admits openly, but the main health programs admit selective classes, and the ADN deadline is 1 April for a fall start.
Three sites: what each teaches
| Site | Address | Main programs here |
|---|---|---|
| Main Campus | 6101 Grayson Drive, Denison, TX 75020 | Nursing (ADN), dental assisting, surgical and radiologic technology, EMT and paramedic, cosmetology and barbering, HVAC, welding; residence halls |
| South Campus | 1455 West Van Alstyne Parkway, Van Alstyne, TX 75495 | Vocational Nursing and Electrical Technology (only here), Medical Laboratory Technology, welding, HVAC, core courses, dual credit, GED and ESL |
| West Extension | North Texas Regional Airport, Denison, TX 75020 | Viticulture and enology, distillation sciences, truck driving (CDL) |
The college’s Center for Workplace Learning runs non-credit workforce courses using the same sites; it is a division of the college, not a separate campus.
Housing and student help
Grayson has residence halls on the Denison campus. Students can get help through the college’s Grayson Cares support services, and a Moody Foundation grant of more than $2 million, announced in June 2026, funds student mental health and community work.
What students say
On Niche, Grayson College is rated 4.08 out of 5 from 386 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ (checked 11 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise faculty and staff who go out of their way to help, the nursing program, the advising and writing help and transfer support, and a friendly, affordable campus. The main complaints are a disorganized financial aid office, some departments that need improvement, and few ways to meet other students. The reviews cover the whole college, and we could not check whether the school invited them or when most were written, so treat them as a rough guide.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Grayson College locations · 2026-27 catalog · Tuition and fees · Accreditation · ADN program outcomes · Texas Board of Nursing 2024 NCLEX-RN rates · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Associate Degree Nursing (RN)
- Bridge to RN (LVN/LPN, military and paramedic entry)
- Vocational Nursing (LVN)
- RN to BSN
Health Sciences
- Dental Assisting
- Surgical Technology
- Radiologic Technology
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Paramedic
Skilled Trades and Manufacturing
- Welding Technology
- Orbital Welding
- Pipefitting
- Electrical Technology
- Electrical Engineering Technology
- Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology (HART)
- Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Transportation
- Professional Truck Driving (CDL)
Cosmetology and Barbering
- Cosmetology
- Class A Barber
- Cosmetology to Barber
- Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist
- Nail Technician
Culinary and Hospitality
- Culinary Arts
- Basic Chef Training
- Enhanced Pastry Arts
- Hospitality Management
Viticulture and Distilling
- Viticulture and Enology
- Distillation Sciences
Business
- Accounting
- Business and Management
- Administrative Professional
- Medical Office Management and Coding Specialist
- Agribusiness Management
Computers and IT
- Computer Maintenance and Networking Technology
- Cybersecurity
- Cloud Computing
Education and Public Service
- Child Development
- Early Childhood Education
- Police Academy
- Criminal Justice (transfer AS)
Campus Locations
Denison, TX 6101 Grayson Drive, Denison, TX 75020
Van Alstyne, TX 1455 West Van Alstyne Parkway, Van Alstyne, TX 75495
Denison, TX West Extension, North Texas Regional Airport, Denison, TX 75020