Economic Impact

• Lone Star College adds nearly $3 billion annually to the Houston economy with higher student incomes and increased business productivity.
• Students will receive a present value of $1.9 billion in increased earnings over their working lives. This translates to a return of $6.00 in higher future earnings for every dollar that students invest in their education at LSC. The corresponding annual rate of return is 19.9%.
• The state of Texas will receive an estimated present value of $11.1 billion in added state revenue over the course of the students’ working lives. Texas will also benefit from an estimated $182.7 million in present value social savings related to reduced crime, lower welfare and unemployment assistance, and increased health and well-being across the state.
• Taxpayers provided $388.9 million of state and local funding to LSC in FY 2022-23. In return, taxpayers will receive an estimated present value of $716.3 million in added tax revenue stemming from the students’ higher lifetime earnings Investment analysis and the increased output of businesses. Savings to the public sector add another estimated $67.3 million in benefits due to a reduced demand for government-funded social services in Texas.

View the full Economic Impact Report (pdf)

Additional Reports

View the Analytics & Institutional Reporting website

View the Institutional Effectiveness website

Budget 2025-2026

$548,000,000

Funding Sources 2025-2026

Property Tax - $244,500,000
State Funds - $111,000,000
Misc. Activities - $32,000,000
Tuition and Fees - $160,500,000

Property Tax Rates

Maintenance and Operations - $0.0785
Interest and Sinking - $0.0275
Tax Rate Total - $0.1060

Bond Rating

On May 5, 2026, Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings reaffirmed its ‘AAA’ long-term rating on Lone Star College System’s revenue and limited-tax bonds and continues to maintain a “stable” outlook for the System. 
Click here to view the report.