Education
Pearland values academics, and high-quality education is a major reason new residents move to Pearland. And residents have a wealth of choices for higher education with more than 60 degree-granting institutions in the region, including the University of Houston – Clear Lake Pearland campus.
Nearly half of Pearland residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. And, with nearly 350,000 college students in the region, more graduates join the workforce every year.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Pearland has educational attainment levels well above the national average. According to the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, 44.8% of Pearland’s adult population holds a four year degree or higher. Compare that to the national average of 35.7%.
Pearland residents are also more likely to have finished high school and gone on to post-secondary education. 71.3% of Pearland residents have some college, compared to the national average of 63.5%.
And 94.1% of Pearland residents have obtained at least a high school diploma or GED.
| Pearland Educational Attainment Compared to U.S. | ||
| Pearland | U.S. | |
| Less than 9th grade | 1.9% | 4.8% |
| Some High School, no Diploma | 3.0% | 6.3% |
| High School Graduate (or GED) | 22.8% | 26.1% |
| Some College, no degree | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate Degree | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 29.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate or Professional Degree | 15.2% | 14.0% |
| High school graduate or higher | 94.1% | 89.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 48.7% | 35.7% |
| Source: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2022 | ||
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Nearly 350,000 students are enrolled in more than 60 degree-granting colleges, universities and technical schools in the Houston region.
In 2004, City of Pearland officials and UHCL leaders formed a partnership to enhance higher education in Pearland. The University of Houston-Clear Lake Pearland Campus, which opened in fall 2010, offers the Pearland community convenient access to nationally accredited, career-building education opportunities. Located just off Pearland Parkway and less than a mile south of Beltway 8, UH-Clear Lake at Pearland offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in areas such as education, criminology and more. Undergraduates with more than 45 credit hours can complete their bachelor’s degrees in eight programs, while graduate students can receive their master’s degrees in six programs. UHCL received $26.4 M in funding in the 2015 legislative session for a health sciences building at the UHCL Pearland campus to allow expansion of programs in nursing and other health care careers. The 69,000 square-foot Health Sciences and Classroom building opened to students in January 2019 and houses UHCL Pearland’s health-science programs, specifically the RN-to-BSN and Licensed Professional Counselors programs, as well as a satellite office for UHCL’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
Pearland is served by Alvin, Houston and San Jacinto Community Colleges.
Alvin Community College
Alvin Community College (ACC) offers degrees and certificates in eight Career Pathways to accelerate the completion of a certificate or degree. Career pathways include:
- Business and Marketing
- Education
- Health
- Science, Engineering Technology and Math
- Manufacturing, Construction and Logistics
- Law, Government, and Public Service
- Education
- Liberal Arts
- Tourism and Hospitality
San Jacinto College District
San Jacinto College District offers university transfer courses (such as history, math, sociology, government and accounting), which could lead to an associate degree for students transferring to a four-year university. Other offerings include a variety of technical courses including computer science, office administration, criminal justice, Microsoft certification, real estate and emergency management.
Houston Community College
Houston Community College is an open-admission, public institution of higher education offering education for academic advancement, workforce training, career development, and lifelong learning to prepare individuals in our diverse communities for life and work in a global and technological society.
K-12
Pearland is served by several area school districts. The two districts that serve the majority of the community are Pearland Independent School District (PISD) and the Alvin Independent School District (AISD).
Pearland Independent School District
The majority of students that live east of State Highway 288 in the City of Pearland attend a Pearland Independent School District school. Pearland ISD is a Texas Education Agency accredited district. Encompassing 43.3 square miles, the district has 23 campuses and a student enrollment of over 21,200 in 2022. The district provides a comprehensive academic program in grades K-12, which allows students multiple opportunities to reach their potential. Special services, bilingual/ESL, gifted and talented and pre-kindergarten programs are offered to students who qualify. The entire K-12 curriculum has real-life applications that include the integration of technology. This district also has an extensive career and technology program that makes connections with the business community. Pearland ISD high schools have achieved national recognition and its students consistently earn state and national recognition in academics, fine arts, athletics and more. Pearland ISD students continue to score higher than their Texas peers in every subject at every grade level on the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness).
Alvin Independent School District
The majority of students in Pearland that live west of State Highway 288 attend the Alvin Independent School District. Alvin ISD is a Texas Education Agency accredited district. The largest school district in Brazoria County, Alvin ISD’s astonishing growth has attributed the current number of 30 campuses. In 2022, the district’s student enrollment was approximately 29,000 and the District provides a comprehensive academic program in grades K-12, which allows students multiple opportunities to reach their potential. Special services, bilingual/ESL, gifted and talented and pre-kindergarten programs are offered to students who qualify. The entire K-12 curriculum has real-life applications that include the integration of technology.
Small areas of the community are also served by Houston ISD, Fort Bend ISD, Pasadena ISD and Clear Creek ISD.