Advancing AI: Local colleges grow artificial intelligence education
Advancing AI: Local colleges grow artificial intelligence education
Publish Date: 2026-02-17 07:00:00
Source Domain: communityimpact.com
Houston City College officially took on its new name June 18—after 54 years as Houston Community College—reflecting the growth of the institution.
The name change comes after the college launched its first two baccalaureate degree programs focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics, as well as health care management, Community Impact reported.
What’s happening
Now, following the success of the programs, the college is bringing in three new four-year programs in computer information systems, business and nursing—with the first two expected to launch in spring 2027 and the latter in 2028, said Miguel Ramos, vice chancellor for instructional services at HCC.
“We definitely want to provide as many opportunities for student learning as possible,” Ramos said.
With five baccalaureate programs, the college will be utilizing the full extent allowed by the state to help fill gaps in the area’s labor market, Ramos said.
In the AI sector, that gap sits at tens of millions, with only 8.7 million nationwide currently learning AI-based skills compared to the 57 million interested, according to higher education marketing and research firm Validated Insights. That number shrinks to only 7,000 when limited only to AI education from higher education institutions.
As of early 2025, only about 2.5% of institutions offered a bachelor’s in AI despite high interest, Validated Insights found.
Zooming in
While the new AI program will be stationed at HCC’s Southwest College—located inside the 610 loop—students have already made an impact in Fort Bend County, HCC Southwest College President Michael Webster said.
A group of HCC students were finalists in a NASA competition, with an entry focused on the west side of the county that saw the development of a drone that used AI lidar—a sensing method that sends pulses of laser light to determine the presence, shape and distance of objects—to find feral hogs in ranches, Webster said.
“It’s a big problem on the…
