HCC Southwest College

Welcome to Houston City College Southwest!

Whether you’re a new or returning student, I hope that you will explore all that HCC Southwest has to offer. We provide affordable, high-quality education that allows our students to advance and prepare for life and work in a competitive economy.

The college offers associate degree programs from which you can move on to a four-year university to pursue a bachelor’s degree or go right into a job. Since 2023, Southwest College has been offering a bachelor’s degree in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. More bachelor’s degree programs are being planned.

There are also certificate programs and short-term training that lead to in-demand jobs and rewarding careers. The college also provides free and reduced-cost learning opportunities for the community.

Students have access to a wide array of assistance to support them in every step of their academic journey, from scholarships and financial aid to academic advising, and apprenticeships through the college’s partnerships with industry.

Students can explore cutting-edge technologies in our state-of-the-art facilities including AI and Innovation Lab, Security Operations Center, and the Virtual Reality Lab. Additionally, student clubs and a range of athletic and recreational opportunities promote student well-being and enhance their college experience.

Take a moment to browse through what we have to offer here. Become an HCC Eagle today to soar to a tomorrow of your dreams!

Michael Webster, Ph.D.

President, HCC Southwest

In 1998, the Southwest College of Houston Community College, the original name of Houston City College, began its first day of classes at the Stafford Campus. The campus has grown to encompass four facilities including the Learning Hub; the Workforce Building for training in advanced manufacturing; the Scarcella Science and Technology Center, which is named after the late Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella; and the Fine Arts Center that has a theater, recital hall, and art and music studios. The campus offers courses in manufacturing; IT; construction trades; welding; business; and media, visual and performing arts.

In 1999, the West Loop Campus opened in a 200,000-square-foot building that formerly housed an Incredible Universe electronics store. Today, the campus is home to the Digital and Information Technology Center of Excellence offering a broad range of IT programs such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, coding, cloud computing, digital gaming and simulation, and digital communication. The campus also features a cutting-edge AI and Innovation Lab that’s also a training ground for robotics; a Security Operations Center that provides cybersecurity training; a Virtual Reality Lab for instruction and industrial career training; and an Apple Lab for training in Apple technologies. 

The Brays Oaks Campus began as the college’s response to the community need for affordable workforce training. In a partnership with the City of Houston, HCC purchased the land to build the campus with a city Community Development Block Grant of $700,000. The $12 million campus opened in 2017.  The 28,000-square-foot Brays Oaks campus includes six classrooms, three computer labs, a Certified Nurse Aid (CNA) lab, a phlebotomy lab, an electrical technician training lab, and administrative and student support services offices. The campus offers health profession programs including CNA, phlebotomy, Medical Assistant, and Medical Business Office Professional. The campus also offers IT courses, an electrical technician program, and citizenship exam preparation.

HCC opened its first Missouri City location in the early 2000s in a shopping center on Texas Parkway. As the community continued to grow, the campus reopened in Sienna Plantation in 2008, which included a 45,000-square-foot building and a partnership with the county to open a library adjacent to the campus.

In 2017, a new Missouri City Campus opened adjacent to Missouri City Hall. The 69,340-square-feet building offers prerequisite courses for health professions such as medical coding and Medical Business Office Professional. Programs also include IT, business management, real estate, natural sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.

• Academic Advising
• Browse All Programs
• College Catalog
• Financial Aid
• Southwest College Conference Centers