Dallas College Acceptance Rate, GPA, and Admission Requirements

Dallas College charges Dallas County residents just $99 per credit hour for all programs - including the bachelor's degrees it now offers. That means a full 120-credit bachelor's degree costs approximately $11,880 in tuition, total. For comparison, a single year at most four-year Texas universities costs more. This rate was raised from $79/credit hour starting Spring 2025 (the first tuition increase since 2019), and even at the new rate it remains below the Texas community college average of $105/credit hour. Beyond tuition, the IncludED program bundles textbooks and most required learning materials into that same rate - so the $99/credit already covers books for most courses, eliminating a cost that typically runs $1,000-$2,000 per year at four-year schools. You can opt out of IncludED on a semester-by-semester basis if you want to source your own materials, but for most students the bundled option saves money. Full-time enrollment (12 credits per semester) costs just $1,188 in tuition, with more than 70% of students also receiving some form of financial aid. Calculate your full cost using Dallas College's online tuition calculator at dallascollege.edu/paying-for-college/cost-tuition before comparing to any other institution.

Like all Texas public colleges, Dallas College requires degree-seeking students to complete the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA2) before enrolling in credit-bearing academic courses - unless you qualify for a state exemption. TSI exemption thresholds at Dallas College match the state standard: SAT composite 1070+ (with 500+ reading) for ELAR sections; 500+ SAT math or 19+ ACT math for the math section; passing Algebra II STAAR EOC score. Military service of 3+ years and prior college-level coursework at accredited institutions also qualify for exemption. If you took the SAT or ACT in high school and scored at or above these thresholds, submit those scores to Dallas College before your first enrollment appointment - you can bypass the assessment entirely and go straight to college-level course registration. If you need to take the TSIA2, the test costs $29 total ($10 per section) at the campus testing center. Students who score below college-level readiness are placed in developmental courses that don't count toward a degree, so strong placement score preparation is genuinely worth the time investment before testing.

Dallas College operates seven campuses across Dallas County, each with a distinct program focus and student community. El Centro Campus (downtown Dallas, 801 Main St.) is urban and walkable, serving students in the heart of the city. Richland (North Dallas) and Brookhaven (Farmers Branch) are large comprehensive campuses. Cedar Valley (Lancaster) and Mountain View (Oak Cliff) serve southern Dallas County communities with strong vocational and health science programming. Eastfield (Mesquite) and North Lake (Irving) anchor the eastern and western corridors respectively. You enroll at the campus that makes logistical sense for your life - commute, work location, and program availability should drive the decision. The new Health Sciences Center being designed by HKS in the Medical District will eventually anchor health-focused programming closer to the city's major hospital network. A landmark new downtown campus is also in development in the Knowledge District. Students can take courses at any campus after enrollment, but your advising home and program cohort will be campus-specific.

Dallas College was formed in 2020 when the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) - which had operated seven separately accredited independent colleges since 1965 - unified into a single institution under one SACSCOC accreditation. If you're a high school senior in Dallas County attending a partner school, check whether you qualify for the Dallas College Promise, which covers up to three years of tuition-free enrollment. More than 300 scholarships are awarded annually totaling over $1.2 million. Students interested in early upskilling can take dual credit courses while still in high school through the district's extensive dual credit partnerships. Once enrolled, WorkReadyU and other programs offer free career training on top of your degree coursework. For students planning to transfer to a four-year institution, Dallas College's Core Curriculum aligns with Texas public university requirements - credits transfer to UT, Texas A&M, UNT, SMU, and other institutions with no loss of equivalent credit under the Texas common core framework. Former DCCCD students who earned credits before 2020 under the separately named colleges should verify how their transcripts appear to receiving institutions.