| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public community college district; campus, hybrid and online classes |
| Sites | 21 career-training sites in the Houston area, all in Texas: 7 colleges (3 of Houston North’s 4 buildings listed), 6 centers and 6 separately addressed Workforce Centers of Excellence. LSC-Online is counted as an eighth college but is not a campus |
| Students | 100,023 (2026-27), the first year above 100,000 |
| Credentials | Continuing-education courses, certificates, associate degrees and 5 bachelor’s degrees; more than 200 programs |
| Program length | From 42-hour and 6-week continuing-education courses to 2-year AAS degrees; bachelor’s degrees longer |
| Tuition 2026-27 | $111 per credit hour in-district, $249 out-of-district Texas, $313 out-of-state and international; unchanged from 2025-26 |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC (institutional); programmatic accreditation for nursing, radiography, PTA, OTA, respiratory care, dental hygiene, surgical technology, veterinary technology and others |
| Federal aid | Yes (FAFSA, Pell Grants, federal loans); VA benefits and the Texas Hazlewood Exemption |
| Founded / governance | 1972 as North Harris County College; governed by an elected nine-member Board of Trustees |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A public college district of more than 100,000 students
Lone Star College (Lone Star College System) is a public community college district that opened in 1972 with 613 students as North Harris County College. It now has 100,023 students (2026-27), and describes itself as “eight colleges, six centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence, and Lone Star Corporate College”. It is not state-owned: an elected nine-member Board of Trustees governs it, and it levies its own local property tax; tuition is lowest for residents of that taxing district. Career credentials run from non-credit continuing-education courses to the Associate of Applied Science, and the college also offers five bachelor’s degrees. In 2026 the Magnolia Center opened (20 January), the board held tuition flat for 2026-27, and an early childhood education bachelor’s was added for fall 2026.
Career programs across 21 Houston-area sites
Lone Star College lists more than 200 programs. The table covers its main career programs; the full list is below, and tuition follows the per-credit rates further down. Many programs are taught at only one site, so check where before applying.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where taught | Prepares for | Published cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (ADN) | AAS; transition track for LVNs and paramedics | 2 years | Kingwood, Montgomery, North Harris, Tomball | NCLEX-RN | Per-credit tuition |
| RN to BSN | Bachelor of Science in Nursing | – | Montgomery; online with clinicals | – | Not published |
| Vocational Nursing | Certificate Level 2 | 1 year | Kingwood, Tomball | NCLEX-PN (Texas LVN) | Per-credit tuition |
| Nurse Aide / Nursing Assistant | Continuing education; 20-credit certificate | About 4 months (credit) | 8 sites (CE); Kingwood, Montgomery, North Harris, Tomball (credit) | Texas HHS nurse aide exam | – |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS | 5 semesters after admission | Montgomery | NPTE | Per-credit tuition |
| Medical Radiologic Technology | AAS; CT certificate at Montgomery | 24 months | CyFair, Montgomery | ARRT | Per-credit tuition |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography; Echocardiography | AAS | – | CyFair | ARDMS | Per-credit tuition |
| Surgical Technology | AAS | 2 years | Tomball Health Science Building | NBSTSA | Per-credit tuition |
| Respiratory Care Therapist | AAS | 2 years | Kingwood | NBRC | Per-credit tuition |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS | 2 years | Kingwood | Texas dental hygiene license | Per-credit tuition |
| Dental Assistant | Continuing education, hybrid | About 20 weeks full time | Kingwood, Montgomery | Registered Dental Assistant exam | – |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS | 2 years | Kingwood, Tomball | NBCOT (COTA) | Per-credit tuition |
| Veterinary Technology; Veterinary Assistant | AAS; certificates | 2 years (AAS) | Tomball Health Science Building | VTNE and Texas LVT | Per-credit tuition |
| Pharmacy Technology | Certificate Level I to AAS | – | North Harris, Tomball Health Science Building | Texas State Board of Pharmacy registration; PTCB | Per-credit tuition |
| Health Information Technology | AAS | – | North Harris (Health Professions Building) | RHIT | Per-credit tuition |
| Medical Assisting | Certificate Level I | 3 semesters | Health Professions Building | CMA (AAMA) | Per-credit tuition |
| Massage Therapy | Certificate Level I | 12 months | North Harris | MBLEx; TDLR license | Per-credit tuition |
| EMT; Paramedic | Continuing education; Certificate Level I; AAS | – | EMT: CyFair, Montgomery, North Harris; paramedic: Montgomery, North Harris | NREMT; Texas DSHS | EMT course $1,344 |
| Firefighter Academy | Certificate Level I (30 credits) | About 9 months | CyFair | Basic structural firefighter | About $3,200–$4,700+ |
| Truck Driver, CDL | Occupational skills award (non-credit) | 6, 8 or 15 weeks | Transportation and Global Logistics Technology Center, Spring | Texas Class A CDL | Not published |
| Welding Technology | Certificates Level I and II; AAS | – | Cypress Center, Houston North (Greenspoint, Victory), East Aldine, Conroe Center | – | Per-credit tuition |
| HVAC & Refrigeration | Three Certificates Level I; AAS | – | North Harris, Houston North (Victory), East Aldine, Magnolia | EPA 608 | Per-credit tuition |
| Electrical Technology | 12-credit certificate to 60-credit AAS | – | North Harris, Tomball, Creekside | Texas TDLR licensing | Per-credit tuition |
| Industrial Diesel Technology | Certificates I and II; AAS | As little as 2 years (AAS) | North Harris | – | AAS $4,544 total (department figure) |
| Automotive Service Technician | Certificates I and II; AAS | – | North Harris, Conroe Center | ASE; manufacturer programs at Conroe | Per-credit tuition |
| Machining Technology | Certificates; AAS | – | CyFair, North Harris, Energy & Manufacturing Institute; also Cypress and Conroe centers | – | Per-credit tuition |
| Process Technology; Instrumentation | Certificates; AAS | – | Process Technology Center | – | Per-credit tuition |
| Professional Pilot | Certificate Level II; AAS | – | Conroe Center | – | Flight costs not published |
| Cybersecurity | AAS; Bachelor of Applied Technology | – | CyFair, Westway Park | – | Bachelor’s tuition not published |
| Network & Computer System Administrator | Certificates; AAS | – | CyFair, Kingwood, North Harris, Tomball, Creekside, Westway Park | Cisco and Microsoft tracks | Per-credit tuition |
| Cosmetology; Facial Specialist | Certificate Level I; AAS | – | Kingwood School of Cosmetology | TDLR license | Per-credit tuition |
| Paralegal Studies | AAS; advanced technical certificate | – | North Harris, University Park | – | Per-credit tuition |
| Personal Trainer | Continuing education, hybrid | 80 contact hours | CyFair, Montgomery | ACE or NASM | $1,339 |
Several programs are accredited in their own right: nursing by ACEN, radiography by JRCERT (two programs), PTA by CAPTE, OTA by ACOTE, respiratory care by CoARC, dental hygiene by CODA, surgical technology by CAAHEP and ARC-STSA, health information technology by CAHIIM (through 2027) and veterinary technology by the AVMA. Lone Star’s three bachelor’s tracks outside nursing and teaching are applied degrees for associate graduates: the Cybersecurity Bachelor of Applied Technology, the BAS in Energy, Manufacturing & Trades Management and the BAS in Emergency Management. Barbering is listed at North Harris but is open only to Westfield High School students.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (ADN)
Lone Star’s ADN is taught in two curricula: an integrated one and a block one. LVNs and paramedics can enter a Transition to Professional Nursing track instead of starting from the beginning. Clinical rotations are arranged by each campus’s nursing department. Entry goes through a separate health occupations application, with a registration checklist that can take three weeks and notices under Texas HB 1508 about how a criminal conviction can affect licensure. At Tomball, 59.57% of basic-track students finished on time in 2024.
Physical Therapist Assistant
The PTA program at LSC-Montgomery admits 30 students a year on prerequisites, GPA, the ATI-TEAS, observation hours and clinical experience. Once admitted, students follow a fixed five-semester sequence: fall, spring, summer, fall and spring, with no part-time route described. Coursework is paired with clinical education in physical therapy settings, and graduates sit the NPTE for a Texas PTA license. The department publishes its graduation, pass and employment rates on its own page.
Truck Driver, CDL
CDL students train at the Transportation and Global Logistics Technology Center in Spring, which has a training track and driving simulators. There are three schedules: full-time weekdays for 6 weeks, part-time evenings for 8 weeks, or part-time weekends for 15 weeks. The course meets the federal entry-level driver training (ELDT) rule required before the Class A skills test, and because the center is a Texas DPS third-party testing site, students test where they trained. The college accepts the GI Bill, Hazlewood, TWC Vocational Rehabilitation and grants for it.
Firefighter Academy
The academy at LSC-CyFair is a 30-credit Basic Structural Firefighter Certificate Level I taken over two semesters, about nine months. It runs as a day block, Monday to Thursday from 8 to 3, or a night block from 5 to 11 pm, which lets working students attend. Each class takes 25 students, first come first served, after a physical agility test, and the cost varies with residency and gear. CyFair also teaches the EMT course, so students can train for both at one campus.
Cosmetology at Kingwood
The School of Cosmetology at LSC-Kingwood is approved by TDLR and teaches a Cosmetology Operator Certificate Level I, a Facial Specialist Certificate Level I and associate degrees in cosmetology and facial work. Practical classes meet Monday to Thursday in either a morning block (9:00 to 1:00) or an afternoon block (12:00 to 4:00), and theory is taught hybrid. Kingwood is the only Lone Star site with cosmetology. Lone Star’s barbering program, at North Harris, is open only to Westfield High School students.
Personal Trainer
This continuing-education course at LSC-CyFair and LSC-Montgomery has 80 contact hours: 32 in personal training and 48 in exercise science, taught hybrid. It is built to prepare students for a national certification exam from ACE or NASM, which they take separately. CPR/BLS is taught as a separate Lone Star continuing-education course. NASM lists LSC-CyFair as an academic partner. Montgomery also runs Lone Star’s PTA program, a separate credit route for students drawn to rehabilitation rather than fitness work.
Tuition by residency and how students pay
Lone Star charges tuition by credit hour, at three rates depending on where the student lives. The board kept 2026-27 rates the same as 2025-26 on 2 April 2026 and asked a committee to study a future reduction; the last increase was in March 2024.
| Residency (2026-27) | Per credit hour | 12 credits | 30 credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-district (inside the Lone Star taxing district) | $111 | $1,332 | $3,330 |
| Out-of-district Texas resident | $249 | $2,988 | $7,470 |
| Out-of-state and international | $313 | $3,756 | $9,390 |
Since fall 2020 the college has charged only two fees on top of tuition: lab fees and the student activity fee. Other costs include a $15 payment-plan fee, a $9 transcript fee, $15 to $29 for proctored assessments, and program liability insurance, uniforms and supplies. Some programs publish their own totals: the Industrial Diesel Technology AAS lists $4,544 (as summarized from the department page in October 2026), the EMT course $1,344, the Personal Trainer course $1,339 and the Firefighter Academy about $3,200 to $4,700 or more. The CDL course price and upper-division bachelor’s tuition are not published. Niche gives a federal net price of $11,686 a year, which includes living costs. The college’s code for the Texas net price calculator is 011145.
Students apply for Pell Grants and federal loans through the FAFSA. Workforce students can apply for Texas Public Education Grants (TPEG), workforce scholarships that can cover tuition, fees, books and supplies, and Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation funding. Named scholarships include the Honors College Chancellor’s Fellows award (tuition and fees for up to 15 credit hours, up to $600 a semester for books and a $600 course allowance each semester) and a $500 East Montgomery County Scholarship Foundation award; the deadline for spring 2027 scholarships is 1 November 2026. Veterans and their families can use VA education benefits (chapters 30, 31, 33, 35 and 1606) and the Texas Hazlewood Exemption, with VetSuccess on Campus counseling and a School Certifying Official at each college.
Admissions and schedules
Admission to the college is open to applicants with a high school diploma or GED. Health programs are different: they admit competitively through a separate health occupations application. PTA takes 30 students a year and veterinary technology about 36 each fall, and the Firefighter Academy fills its 25 places first come, first served after a physical agility test. Bachelor’s applicants need an associate degree, or to be within six credit hours of one, and meet program GPA and prerequisite rules.
Classes run days, evenings and weekends, and many courses come in 8-week Fast Track terms, two per 16-week semester. Houston North has morning, afternoon and evening cohort blocks and a weekend college. Online classes come as “Online Your Time” (self-paced) or “Online Live” (scheduled), and the bachelor’s degrees add hybrid and Hyflex. Most program pages describe LSC-Online as offering only part of a program, so career students should expect to attend a campus.
Accreditation and results
Lone Star College is accredited as one institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and takes part in federal student aid. In the Texas Board of Nursing’s report for calendar year 2024, the board listed five Lone Star nursing programs, with these first-time NCLEX-RN results (the board lists CyFair, but the college’s ADN pages name only Kingwood, Montgomery, North Harris and Tomball):
| Lone Star program | Passed / tested | First-time pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| LSC-CyFair | 59 / 60 | 98.33% |
| LSC-Montgomery | 55 / 56 | 98.21% |
| LSC-North Harris | 81 / 86 | 94.19% |
| LSC-Tomball | 41 / 44 | 93.18% |
| LSC-Kingwood | 79 / 87 | 90.80% |
Other published results: PTA at Montgomery reports a 96% first-attempt and 100% ultimate NPTE pass rate for its two most recent cohorts, 91% average graduation for 2024 and 2025, and 100% employment within 12 months of licensure. The OTA program reports a three-year completion rate of 79.16% (66.66% for 2022, 87.52% for 2024). North Harris EMS reported, for 2024, a 74% NREMT written pass rate, 100% on the practical exam, 92% retention and 100% job placement. Health information technology reported 100% graduation and employment for 2021-22, a small cohort. We could not find vocational nursing (NCLEX-PN), ARRT or VTNE pass rates. College-wide, Niche’s federal figures show a 21% graduation rate, measured over 150% of normal time, and median earnings of $50,619 five years out.
Our October 2026 search found no lawsuit, regulatory action or accreditation action against Lone Star College since 2023. That is a search result, not a check of court dockets.
Before you enroll
- Tuition depends on your address. Texans who live outside the Lone Star taxing district pay $249 per credit hour, more than twice the in-district $111.
- Many career programs are taught at one site only: PTA at Montgomery, respiratory care and dental hygiene at Kingwood, surgical technology and veterinary technology at the Tomball Health Science Building, CDL in Spring, the pilot program at the Conroe Center. Check the site and travel time before you apply.
- Criminal Justice is an Associate of Arts for university transfer. Lone Star has no police academy or peace-officer licensing program; it was reported to have ended its police training program in 2017.
- Health programs have limited seats and competitive admission, with background checks, a registration checklist that can take three weeks and licensure notices for applicants with criminal convictions. Open admission applies to the college, not to these programs.
- Several programs on the pathway pages (game design, AI and machine learning, accounting, land surveying, ASL interpreting and others) do not show a campus on the pages we read. Ask where and when they are taught.
Where Lone Star teaches
These are the teaching sites with career programs. Kingwood’s School of Cosmetology is on the Kingwood campus, and the Construction & Skilled Trades Technology Center shares LSC-North Harris’s address. LSC-Houston North’s Fairbanks Center (Northwest Freeway) teaches mainly academic transfer courses. The system offices in The Woodlands and at University Park, The University Center (partner universities’ courses) and LSC-Online are not campuses.
| Site | City | Main career programs |
|---|---|---|
| LSC-CyFair | Cypress | Radiography, sonography, firefighter academy, cybersecurity, machining |
| LSC-Houston North: Greenspoint, Victory and Fallbrook centers | Houston | Welding, HVAC, logistics, acute care technician |
| LSC-Kingwood | Kingwood | Dental hygiene, respiratory care, cosmetology, nursing, OTA |
| LSC-Montgomery | Conroe (The Woodlands) | PTA, radiography and CT, nursing, RN-to-BSN, EMS |
| LSC-North Harris | Houston | Diesel, automotive, electrical, HVAC, construction, massage, pharmacy, EMS |
| LSC-Tomball | Tomball | Nursing, vocational nursing, sterile processing, electrical |
| LSC-University Park | Houston | Data analytics, paralegal, web design, machining |
| Atascocita Center | Houston (Atascocita) | Early childhood education BAS (fall 2026) |
| Conroe Center | Conroe | Professional pilot, manufacturer automotive, welding |
| Creekside Center | Tomball | Electrical AAS, networking, early childhood education BAS |
| Cypress Center | Katy | Engineering design, industrial electronics, machining, welding |
| East Aldine Center | Houston (Aldine) | HVAC, welding, inspection technology |
| Magnolia Center (opened Jan 2026) | Magnolia | HVAC, EMS |
| Health Professions Building | Houston | Medical assisting, HIT, pharmacy technician, nursing |
| Tomball Health Science Building | Tomball | Surgical technology, MLT, veterinary technology, nursing |
| Transportation and Global Logistics Technology Center | Spring | CDL |
| Energy & Manufacturing Institute | Houston | Robotics, energy systems, machining |
| Process Technology Center | Houston | Process and instrumentation technology |
| Westway Park Technology Center | Houston | Cybersecurity BAT, networking, cloud, programming, visual communication |
Clinicals, co-ops and career help
Lone Star is a commuter college and we found no college housing. The health programs arrange their own clinical and practicum placements, and some programs offer cooperative work experience with employers. Every program page links to Career Star, the college’s career and salary exploration tool. Industry links include the ASE Education Foundation for North Harris automotive, Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Hyundai/Genesis training at the Conroe Center, Cisco and Microsoft academies for networking, and the Texas DPS testing site for CDL. Lone Star Corporate College runs customized training for employers.
What students say
On Niche, Lone Star College has 4.03 out of 5 from 4,780 reviews and an overall grade of B (checked 6 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise low cost, approachable instructors and small classes, and flexible online and evening scheduling for working students. Complaints center on communication between departments, advising and financial-aid processing, and a limited campus social life at a commuter college. Niche grades academics and professors C. The reviews cover the whole district rather than one campus, and Niche does not show review dates in a form we could check, so we cannot say whether they cluster in time.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Lone Star College locations · Tuition · Bachelor’s degrees · Program pathways · CHEA accreditation record · Texas BON NCLEX-RN 2024 report · Community Impact on 2026-27 tuition · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing AAS (ADN), integrated and block curricula
- Transition to Professional Nursing AAS (for LVNs and paramedics)
- Vocational Nursing (LVN), Certificate Level 2
- RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)
- Nursing Assistant certificate (credit) and Nurse Aide (continuing education)
Health Sciences
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Medical Radiologic Technology (radiography)
- Computed Tomography (advanced technical certificate)
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Echocardiography
- Surgical Technology
- Respiratory Care Therapist
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Dental Hygiene
- Dental Assistant (continuing education)
- Pharmacy Technology and Pharmacy Management
- Health Information Technology
- Medical Coding
- Medical Assisting
- Patient Care Technician and Acute Care Technician
- Phlebotomy (continuing education)
- EKG / Electrocardiography Monitor Technician (continuing education)
- Sterile Processing Technician (continuing education)
- Massage Therapy
- Personal Trainer (continuing education)
- Biotechnology, Electroneurodiagnostic Technology and Polysomnography
- Veterinary Technology and Veterinary Assistant
Public Safety
- Emergency Medical Services (EMT, Paramedic, AAS)
- Firefighter Academy (Basic Structural Firefighter)
- Fire Science Technology
- Emergency Management (certificates, AAS, BAS)
- Criminal Justice (Associate of Arts, transfer only)
- Human Services and Basic Chemical Dependency Counselor
Skilled Trades and Manufacturing
- Welding Technology
- HVAC & Refrigeration
- Electrical Technology
- Industrial Diesel Technology
- Construction Supervision
- Machining Technology and CNC
- Robotics – Automated Manufacturing Technology
- Industrial Electronics – Field Service Technician
- Engineering Design Technology (architectural and mechanical)
- Process Technology and Instrumentation Technology
- Energy Systems Technology
- Inspection Technology (NDT)
- Land Surveying & Mapping Technology and GIS
- BAS in Energy, Manufacturing & Trades Management
Transportation
- Truck Driver, CDL (continuing education)
- Professional Pilot
- Automotive Service Technician (ASE; Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Hyundai/Genesis training at Conroe Center)
- Logistics Management
Technology
- Cybersecurity (AAS and Bachelor of Applied Technology)
- Network & Computer System Administrator (Cisco and Microsoft)
- Cloud Computing
- Computer Programming
- Data Analytics
- Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Arts and Design
- Visual Communication: Graphic Design, 3D Animation, Motion Graphics, Multimedia, Video, Web Design
- Game Design & Simulation
- Live Entertainment Technology
Business and Law
- Business Administration – Business Management (HR, marketing and eSports specializations)
- Accounting and Tax Preparation
- Administrative Services and Medical Front Desk
- Paralegal Studies
Cosmetology
- Cosmetology Operator and Cosmetology AAS (Kingwood)
- Cosmetology – Facial Specialist (Kingwood)
Education and Language
- BAS in Early Childhood Education & Teaching (from fall 2026)
- Associate of Arts in Teaching (EC-3, EC-6, 4-8)
- ASL Communication Skills and Interpreter Training Technology
Campus Locations
LSC-CyFair, Houston (Cypress), TX 9191 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress, TX 77433
LSC-Houston North – Greenspoint Center, Houston, TX 250 N. Sam Houston Parkway East, Houston, TX 77060
LSC-Houston North – Victory Center, Houston, TX 4141 Victory Drive, Houston, TX 77088
LSC-Houston North – Fallbrook Center, Houston, TX 12750 Walters Rd., Houston, TX 77014
LSC-Kingwood, Houston (Kingwood), TX 20000 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339
LSC-Montgomery, Houston (The Woodlands), TX 3200 College Park Drive, Conroe, TX 77384
LSC-North Harris, Houston, TX 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, Houston, TX 77073
LSC-Tomball, Houston (Tomball), TX 30555 Tomball Parkway, Tomball, TX 77375
LSC-University Park, Houston, TX 20515 SH 249, Houston, TX 77070
LSC-Atascocita Center, Houston (Atascocita), TX 15903 West Lake Houston Parkway, Houston, TX 77044
LSC-Conroe Center, Houston (Conroe), TX 777 Conroe Park North Drive, Conroe, TX 77303
LSC-Creekside Center, Houston (Tomball), TX 8747 West New Harmony Trail, Tomball, TX 77375
LSC-Cypress Center, Houston (Katy), TX 19710 Clay Road, Katy, TX 77449
LSC-East Aldine Center, Houston (Aldine), TX 2430 Aldine Mail Route Rd, Houston, TX 77039
LSC-Magnolia Center, Houston (Magnolia), TX 1280 Escondido Drive, Magnolia, TX 77354
LSC-Health Professions Building, Houston, TX 17200 Red Oak Drive, Houston, TX 77090
LSC-Tomball Health Science Building, Houston (Tomball), TX 700 Graham Drive, Tomball, TX 77375
LSC-Transportation and Global Logistics Technology Center, Houston (Spring), TX 1200 E Cypresswood Dr, Spring, TX 77373
LSC-Energy & Manufacturing Institute, Houston, TX 11521 Compaq Center West Dr., Houston, TX 77070
LSC-Process Technology Center, Houston, TX 14001 Lockwood Rd, Houston, TX 77044
LSC-Westway Park Technology Center, Houston, TX 5060 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, TX 77041