Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Houston

You think about studying in Houston but want to get additional information about student life and the city in general before making your final decision regarding this important topic?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of studying in Houston in the following chapters.

Studying in Houston – Overview

Advantages of Studying in Houston

1. Many solid colleges to choose from in the Houston region
2. You will find many exotic majors and specializations
3. Houston attracts students from all over the world
4. Houston is a pretty tolerant place
5. You can get in touch with many interesting people
6. You can join interesting student unions
7. Many extracurricular activities in Houston
8. You can play many different college sports in Houston
9. Houston is renowned all over the US and even the world
10. You can build a strong network of people
11. You can learn from smart and ambitious students
12. Many big corporations hire from University of Houston
13. More than enough opportunities to work as an intern
14. Many student jobs in Houston
15. More than enough libraries in Houston
16. You will have many quiet places to prepare for your exams
17. Easy to get around by public transport
18. Students can get around by bicycle
19. You will find most things you need within walking distance
20. You can enjoy great weather in Houston
21. You can spend lots of time outdoors
22. Houston is located at the coast
23. Your friends may envy you for studying in Houston

Many solid colleges to choose from in the Houston region

One advantage of studying in Houston is that there are more than enough solid colleges and universities to choose from and you will therefore find many solid schools where you can exactly find the majors you are looking for.

You will find many exotic majors and specializations

Not only will you find popular majors in the Houston region, but you will also have enough opportunities to specialize in rather exotic fields and can become a real niche expert if you want to.

Houston attracts students from all over the world

Since Houston is pretty popular all over the US and even the world, it also attracts many students from all over the globe and you can have many interesting conversations with those students and can just have a great time together.

Houston is a pretty tolerant place

Houston is also one of the most tolerant places in the US and similar to people studying in Los Angeles, you can meet many friendly and open people and will just feel welcome in Houston so you can have a great time and also really focus on your studies.

You can get in touch with many interesting people

Since you can meet many people from different countries and cultures, you can also make friends with many interesting characters and by talking to those people on a regular basis, you can really learn a lot and grow in character in the long run.

You can join interesting student unions

There are also many student unions you can join in and around Houston and will therefore have a pretty easy time socializing and chances are that you will never feel lonely as a student in this place.

Many extracurricular activities in Houston

You can also engage in many extracurricular activities in Houston and this can not only be great to socialize and to make your student life more interesting but can also look great on your CV.

You can play many different college sports in Houston

Studying in Houston can also make sense in case you are an athlete and aspire to a career at a professional level since there are many college sports you can play in Houston and if you are outstanding in what you are doing, you may even be able to get a scholarship and can save lots of money on tuition and other expenses related to college.

Houston is renowned all over the US and even the world

Since Houston is a pretty popular city, it also attracts many interesting people from many foreign countries and you can therefore also improve your cultural expertise and learn quite a lot about different lifestyles in the long run.

You can build a strong network of people

Since you can meet many people with different attitudes towards life, you can also build a strong network of people in the Houston region and can greatly benefit from this network to climb the corporate ladder rather quickly.

You can learn from smart and ambitious students

Another upside to studying in Houston is that you can learn from students who are just pretty smart and better than you and by studying with those people, you can stay motivated to study hard and you will therefore get pretty good at what you are doing in the long run.

Many big corporations hire from University of Houston

Since the University of Houston is well-known for decent education, many big companies also hire directly from campus and if you are really good, you may be able to get a decent job even before you graduate from college.

More than enough opportunities to work as an intern

Thanks to the fact that Houston is a pretty big city and you will find many big corporations in this place, you will also have more than enough opportunities to work as an intern which can not only help you to connect with many important people but can also look nice on your résumé.

Many student jobs in Houston

Another benefit of studying in Houston is that you will also find more than enough student jobs where you can make some extra money to minimize the amount of student loan debt or financial support of your parents.

More than enough libraries in Houston

Houston can also be a great place to study since there are many libraries and other places where you can find all the information you need to become a real expert in your field.

You will have many quiet places to prepare for your exams

There are also many quiet spaces where you can prepare for your exams and can really focus without getting distracted by other people.

There are even many opportunities to just hang out in quiet parks so you can study in a focused manner and still get lots of oxygen which can support the process.

Easy to get around by public transport

Another benefit of studying in Houston is that you can get around by public transport in a pretty efficient manner as long as you live close enough to the city center and this can be great as a student since you don’t necessarily have to buy a car and can save lots of money on fuel and also do good for our environment in the long run.

Students can get around by bicycle

If you don’t want to use public transport but still don’t want to rely on your car, you can still get around by bicycle in a decent manner and this also gives you the opportunity to stay fit in the long run.

You will find most things you need within walking distance

Since Houston has decent public infrastructure and overall supply of material goods is pretty solid, you will also find most things you need for daily life within walking distance and don’t have to waste lots of time in this regard so that you will have more time to really focus on your studies.

You can enjoy great weather in Houston

You should also not forget the great weather you can enjoy in the Houston region.

Not only summers are great, but also winters are relatively warm and this gives you many opportunities to really enjoy student life while people studying in Chicago or other colder places often don’t have this luxury.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Thanks to the good weather, you will also spend lots of time outdoors and this can be great since it will likely improve your overall mood but also helps you get enough oxygen so that your brain can work in an optimal manner.

Houston is located at the coast

Since Houston is located at the coast, you can also go surfing or do other water sports on a regular basis and this can really make your student life great since you will often feel like being on vacation.

Your friends may envy you for studying in Houston

Since Houston is a pretty popular city, many of your friends will envy and admire you for getting the opportunity of studying in Houston and you will therefore have a pretty high social standing among your peers.

As you can see, there are many reasons for studying in Houston.

However, it is not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the drawbacks of studying in Houston so you can better decide whether you still want to study in Houston or rather want to go for a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Studying in Houston

1. High living costs in Houston
2. It may take you long to find a decent place to stay
3. Many student jobs only pay pretty poor money
4. You may have to deal with student loan debt to finance your degree
5. Tuition in Houston is often pretty high
6. Houston is not the safest city
7. Not many really good universities in Houston
8. Houston is not as popular among international students
9. Not many great guest professors visit Houston
10. Students in Houston are often not as ambitious as in other regions
11. Studying in Houston may not greatly improve your career prospects

High living costs in Houston

One downside to studying in Houston is that living costs are relatively high compared to many smaller cities out there and this means that you will have to spend significant amounts of money on drinks and other expenses of daily life and this may really stress you as a student since money will always be a scarce resource.

It may take you long to find a decent place to stay

Since Housing shortage is a big problem in Houston, it may also take you quite a long time to find a decent place to stay that is still affordable while you will still have an easier time compared to people studying in New York City or other even more expensive regions.

Many student jobs only pay pretty poor money

While there are many student jobs, many of them still don’t pay great money and many students really struggle to cover their expenses in the Houston region.

You may have to deal with student loan debt to finance your degree

Since living costs in Houston are pretty high, many students also have to take on student loan debt to finance their degrees and have to pay back huge amounts of money later in their lives.

Tuition in Houston is often pretty high

You should also know that many colleges in Houston are pretty expensive and tuition is high and you should really compare tuition of different colleges so you might be able to save lots of money in this regard.

Houston is not the safest city

Another problem with studying in Houston is that it is just not the safest place to stay.

In fact, crime rates are pretty high and you may just not feel safe if you stay in the wrong neighborhoods and may therefore not be able to really focus on your studies.

Not many really good universities in Houston

While there are many solid colleges in Houston, it is hard to find really good education in this place and colleges will just not be as prestigious as in NYC or many other big cities in the US.

Houston is not as popular among international students

While Houston is a multicultural city, you will still not find as many international students as in L.A. or other more popular metropolitan areas and this may make your student life less interesting in general.

Not many great guest professors visit Houston

Another disadvantage of studying in Houston is that there are just not as many great guest professors as in more prestigious regions and you may therefore have a harder time connecting to influential people from all over the world.

Students in Houston are often not as ambitious as in other regions

While you can find smart and ambitious students, the average student in Houston is often not as ambitious and focused as students in regions where education plays a more important role and you may therefore just not be able to compete with the best of the best in this city.

Studying in Houston may not greatly improve your career prospects

Since Houston doesn’t have many really good universities, studying in Houston may also not be as great for your résumé compared to studying in more prestigious places in Boston or other places.

Top 10 Studying in Houston Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Houston A Great City For Students?

While studying in Houston can be a great idea since you have many different colleges and majors to choose from and overall student life is great, you should still know that there are not many really good universities in Houston and tuition can be pretty high.

If you not only want to study in Houston but even consider living there, you should also have a look at all the pros and cons of moving to Houston.

Alternative Student Cities

If you don’t want to study in Houston anymore, you may also want to have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of studying in Phoenix.

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/houstoncitytexas

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.