The following is a list of colleges and universities in Houston, located within the city limits.
State universities
Four separate and distinct state universities are located in Houston.
The University of Houston is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. The University of Houston–Clear Lake and the University of Houston–Downtown are universities; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. Admission into each institution is separate, and each institution has distinct admission criteria and requirements.
Texas Southern University is the only independent state university in Houston and is one of the largest historically black universities in the U.S.
Community colleges
Colleges in or nearby Houston
Houston Community College System
Lone Star College System
San Jacinto College
Other Community Colleges around Houston
Alvin Community College
Blinn College
Brazosport College
College of the Mainland
Lee College
Wharton County Junior College
Private universities
Nonsectarian
Rice University, established in 1912, is a private Tier One research university located at 6100 Main, Houston, Texas. Rice enrolled 3,001 undergraduate, 897 post-graduate, and 1,247 doctoral students and awarded 1,448 degrees in 2007. The university is organized into eight schools offering 40 undergraduate degree programs, 51 masters programs, and 29 doctoral programs. Strayer University, established in 1892, is a private college offering associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs. There are 3 campuses in the Houston area offering both on campus and online class options. Houston Graduate School of Theology North American University, established in 2007, is a private college offering bachelor's degree programs in three disciplines: computer science, business administration and education. American InterContinental University, 9999 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas, offers 2 associate degree programs, 24 bachelor programs, and 11 masters programs in 5 disciplines: business administration, accounting, criminal justice, healthcare management and information technology.
Sectarian
The College of Biblical Studies, 7000 Regency Square Blvd., Houston, Texas, is a Bible college that is non-denominational. It is dual-accredited by SACS-COC and ABHE and was founded in 1976 by Rev. Ernest L. Mays. The school continues to strive to equip African American and other ethnic minority pastors to serve the church and the world through both English- and Spanish-language undergraduate degree offerings. Houston Christian University, 7502 Fondren Road, Houston, Texas, offers more than 50 undergraduate majors. Pre-professional programs range from Biblical languages to nursing. University of St. Thomas, located at 3800 Montrose, Houston, Texas, is a comprehensive Catholic university, grounded in the liberal arts. Founded by 1947 by Basilian Fathers, it serves as the only Catholic university in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
Law schools
Public
Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law
University of Houston Law Center
Private
South Texas College of Law
Independent schools
Center for Advanced Legal Studies
Health institutions
Public
Institute of Biosciences and Technology
Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing
Texas Southern University School of Pharmacy and Health Science
Texas Woman's University Health Science Center Houston
University of Houston College of Medicine
University of Houston College of Optometry
University of Houston College of Pharmacy
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Private
Baylor College of Medicine
Memorial Hermann Clinical Innovation and Research Institute (CIRI) The Methodist Hospital Research Institute Texas Children's Hospital
Former institutions
Christian College of America
Gulf Coast Bible College (moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1985) South Texas Junior College