Houston City College PTA program: pass rate, jobs and local pay
An AAS program in Houston, 2 years, full time (66 credit hours); part-time plan also listed. 92.2% of its graduates passed the NPTE-PTA on the first try over 2024 to 2025.
The short version
- Its NPTE-PTA rate (92.2%) is close to the Texas program median of 90.4%.
- 92.2% passed on the first try, and the program reports 98.9% passing after retakes, so a meaningful share of its graduates needed a second attempt.
These lines are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does.
How graduates do
CAPTE requires every accredited program to publish the same outcome measures, so they can be compared program to program. 3
Graduates who passed the NPTE-PTA licensing exam on their first try, as a two-year average for 2024 and 2025 graduates, published by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Where a program also publishes its ultimate pass rate (including retakes), it is shown separately. Job placement: graduates who sought work as a PTA and were employed within a year of passing the exam, as the program reports it.
What it costs
Houston City College does not publish a total cost for this program. Program page links only to a general tuition and cost calculator; no program total or itemized list. Ask the program for its cost sheet; contact details are on its page.
For comparison only, not this program's price: the 16 Texas PTA programs that publish a cost range from $6,955 to $45,845, with a median of $10,477.
What physical therapist assistants earn around Houston
The median yearly wage for physical therapist assistants in the Houston metro area is $77,280. 2 Payback time sets aside 10% of that each year toward the program cost.
Other PTA programs in the Houston area
Compare all 5 PTA programs in the Houston area
| Program | NPTE-PTA rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Star College, Montgomery AAS, Conroe | 96.1% | 100% | Not published |
| Houston City College (this page) AAS, Houston | 92.2% | Not reported | Not published |
| San Jacinto College, South AAS, Houston | 90.6% | Not reported | Not published |
| Wharton County Junior College AAS, Wharton | 77.3% | 100% | Not published |
| Pima Medical Institute, Houston AAS, Houston | 73.0% | 96.7% | $44,620 |
After you graduate: getting to work in Texas
Texas requires a PTA license issued by the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Applicants must pass the NPTE for PTAs (run by FSBPT), pass the Texas jurisprudence exam (TX JAM), and complete a fingerprint background check.
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Apply online to the Texas PT Board for a PTA license by exam and pay the application fee.4 | Not published |
| Register with FSBPT for the NPTE-PTA after the school verifies graduation, selecting Texas.5 | $485 |
| Pay the FSBPT card processing fee.6 | $8 |
| Reserve a seat with Prometric and take the exam.7 | $92 |
| Pass the Texas Jurisprudence Assessment Module (TX JAM) online.8 | Free |
| Send an official transcript and passport photo and complete fingerprinting (SSN required from Sept 1, 2026).9 | Not published |
| Optional: request a temporary license after applying.10 | $60not counted |
Typical fees to start working: $585. Counts the NPTE-PTA ($485), FSBPT's card processing fee (about $8) and the Prometric seat fee ($92). The Texas license application fee and fingerprinting are extra; we could not confirm the current state fee. Texas PTA licenses renew every two years by the end of the birth month and require 20 continuing competence units, including the board jurisprudence module, under 22 TAC 341.1 and 341.2. Full guide: how to become a physical therapist assistant in Texas
Program facts
- Credential
- AAS
- Length
- 2 years, full time (66 credit hours); part-time plan also listed
- Schedule
- In person, Coleman campus
- Starts
- Fall (applications Nov 2, 2026 to Jun 1, 2027 for August 2027)
- Before you apply
- A&P I, A&P II, PSYC 2301, PSYC 2314 and a 3-credit humanities or fine arts course.
- Entrance exam
- HESI A2 ($75); ATI TEAS accepted if already taken
- Accreditation
- CAPTE, Accredited (initial 05/1975; next visit Spring 2029)
- Leads to
- National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs (NPTE-PTA) and a Texas license
Sources and dates
- Houston City College program outcomes page, Program page table with first-time and ultimate columns gives a 2024-2025 two-year ultimate rate of 98.9%. Graduation and employment are not used: the page's tables are mislabeled (a 'Student Outcomes' table with no measure name and an empty 'Employment Rate' heading)..
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Physical Therapist Assistants (31-2021), May 2025 estimates.
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), checked Nov. 2026.
- Texas PT Board, Apply by Exam, checked Nov 2026.
- FSBPT Exam Registration and Payment, checked Nov 2026.
- FSBPT Exam Registration and Payment, checked Nov 2026.
- FSBPT NPTE Candidate Handbook, Exam Registration and Scheduling, checked Nov 2026.
- Texas PT Board, TX JAM, checked Nov 2026.
- Texas PT Board, Apply by Exam, checked Nov 2026.
- Texas PT Board, Temporary License, checked Nov 2026.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or CAPTE. Our independence policy