STEPHENVILLE, Texas (FOX 44) – An agreement between Tarleton State University and McLennan Community College aims to assist college-bound students and grow a well-educated Central Texas workforce.

This comes as part of Tarleton’s Dual Admissions Transfer Pathway. The university will simultaneously accept first-time McLennan Community College students who plan to complete their associate degree at MCC, and then transfer to Tarleton to earn a Bachelor’s. Tarleton says it will hold tuition the same as when the students opt in as well as offer specialized programming, supports and access to events such as athletics.

Tarleton says that recent Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board reports show the graduation rate topping 66 percent for two-year-college students who transfer to the university with 30 or more credit hours. Only four other Texas universities score higher.

Tarleton had barely 30 students at MCC’s University Center that first year. Today it’s 800, with more than 4,500 graduates over the nearly 25-year collaboration.

Tarleton State says it has been a member of MCC’s University Center in Waco for almost 25 years, and offers 30 undergraduate, graduate and certificate opportunities, with more expected for fall 2024. MCC-to-Tarleton will see its first cohort in fall 2024.