The Promising Future of Higher Education in Texas Prisons

Tens of thousands of incarcerated Texans are eligible for higher education programming. Even though far fewer can actually access it, Texas is set for significant program expansion in the near future.

That’s the starting point of our new report, Opening More Doors.

Built on Fall 2025 enrollment data, the report sets out a landscape view of higher education in Texas prisons on the eve of major reforms passed in the recent criminal justice sunset bill. Among the more significant changes, the day-to-day management of prison higher education programs moved from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to Windham School District effective Sept. 1, 2025.

The report found that despite the current limits to access, the near-term outlook on institutions of higher education (IHEs) offering programs in state prisons is genuinely promising.

Current Challenges to Access

Data from the TDCJ indicates over 135,000 incarcerated individuals in August 2025 across 97 prison units. Using enrollment data provided by Windham, roughly 60% of the incarcerated population resided at units without higher education programs offered by a college or university. Even taking into account program eligibility and prioritization, there were 33,829 individuals who were eligible but not yet enrolled in a postsecondary program with an IHE.

The access to IHE programs is also not evenly distributed. Some regions of the state have much higher enrollment rates than others. Colleges and universities in the Central Texas and Gulf Coast regions, for instance, have long-standing programs and relationships with nearby prison units. In contrast, prison units in South Texas, the Upper Rio Grande Valley, and parts of North Texas lack any IHE programs.

Promises of Expansion

The good news is that there is already forward momentum toward program expansion. As of April 2026, nine IHEs have received approval by TDCJ at the recommendation of the Postsecondary Education Advisory Board to provide new programming, across 11 units. Of these 11 units, seven had no IHE offering a postsecondary program in Fall 2025. Of the nine IHEs, seven are new partners that currently do not offer programming in any TDCJ unit.

According to Windham, additional IHEs remain in the pipeline beyond the nine approved. Some have submitted applications to offer PEPs; others are in pre-application discussions with Windham to learn more about opportunities.

What’s Next

With program openings and expansion on the horizon, the state is implementing other important provisions of the sunset bill. These include a first round of postsecondary program evaluations set for this year, and the execution of a new data sharing agreement between Windham and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. As Windham continues talks with existing and new IHE partners, it will be important to monitor resource availability to ensure that the equipment, technology and funding are there to help new programs get off the ground and meet prospective student demand.

Everything is in place to open new programs and open more doors of opportunity for incarcerated Texans. With new partners entering, more units gaining access, and stronger oversight on the way, higher education in Texas prisons stands poised for its most significant expansion in years.