Community college guide: Dallas College (DCCCD) and Tarrant County College

Community college is the smartest financial decision for many DFW students. Here's the guide.

Dallas College (formerly DCCCD):

• 7 campuses across Dallas County: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake, Richland
• In-district tuition: ~$59/credit hour (~$1,600/year full-time). Source: dallascollege.edu
• Programs: 100+ degree and certificate programs
• Transfer agreements with UTD, UTA, UNT, and most Texas public universities
• Source: dallascollege.edu

Tarrant County College (TCC):

• 6 campuses across Tarrant County: NE, NW, SE, South, Trinity River, Connect
• In-district tuition: ~$62/credit hour (~$1,700/year). Source: tccd.edu
• Programs: 100+ degree and certificate options
• Transfer agreements with UTA, TCU, UNT
• Source: tccd.edu

Transfer path (2+2 model):

1. Complete your core curriculum (42-48 hours) at CC. Cost: ~$3,200-3,400.
2. Transfer to a 4-year university for your major courses. Cost: varies.
3. Graduate with the SAME degree as someone who started there.
4. Total savings: $20,000-40,000 compared to starting at a university.

Key tips:

• Use TXTransfer.org to verify which courses transfer and where. Source: txtransfer.org
• Complete the Texas Common Core for guaranteed transfer. Source: thecb.state.tx.us
• Meet with a transfer advisor at the CC AND your target university.
• Maintain a 3.0+ GPA for best transfer scholarship opportunities.

Beyond transfer — career programs:

• Nursing (ADN) — start working as an RN in 2 years. $50,000-65,000 starting. DFW nursing demand is massive.
• IT certifications — CompTIA, Cisco, cloud computing. 6-12 month programs.
• Welding, HVAC, automotive — see trade school post.

Sources:

• Dallas College and TCC websites
• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
• TXTransfer.org

Community college isn't settling. It's strategic.