People Move Here for Our Schools
Katy Independent School District (Katy ISD) serves over 90,000 students in 74 schools with a budget of over $1.1 billion. In a region with some of the best schools in the nation, Katy ISD is ranked the #1 school district in the Houston area and #13 in the State according to Niche’s 2022 Best Schools list. Residents are proud to define themselves by the achievements of Katy ISD.
Katy ISD is a "Recognized District" overall, and many of its schools are "Exemplary Schools," a top rating given by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). In Katy ISD, ACT and SAT scores are above the state and national averages, and the majority of high schools boast graduation rates from 95% to 98%. Katy ISD has been a part of the Houston Community College community for over 40 years.
Katy ISD offers well-rounded career and technical programs through the Miller Career and Technology Center (MCTC). MCTC career academies include Manufacturing Engineering, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Transportation and Logistics, Business Management and Administration, Information Technology, Arts, Audio Visual Technology & Communications, and Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources. In coordination with Houston Community College, Katy ISD offers multiple adult education opportunities at MCTC.
Experiential learning opportunities are available at the Welch Outdoor Learning Center. The facility consists of 34.5 acres of land — much of which is wooded with trails — a science classroom/museum, a caretaker’s cottage, a history classroom/museum, gardens, a large barn, and a barnyard with a windmill. The OLC hosts field trips, the Folklife Festival, and a summer recreation program.
The complete list of Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools can be found on the Katy ISD website. Access the district profile dashboard for demographics.
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy-Fair ISD) is the other highly-rated public school system in the Katy Area marketplace with a budget over $1.1 billion. The District has 92 school campuses and serves over 116,000 students, making it the third largest district in Texas and 22nd-largest in the United States. With a focus to provide “Opportunity for All,” Cy-Fair ISD has a minority enrollment that exceeds 80%, a level of representation that puts the District in the top 10 most diverse districts in Texas. As one of the most progressive and innovative school systems in the country, Cy-Fair ISD today is the largest A-rated school district by TEA in the state of Texas.
The Katy area is also home to the British International School Of Houston. With its state-of-the-art facility, the school has over 1,000 students and offers a robust academic experience based on international curricula for students ages 3-18.
Charter and private schools in the area include Harmony Science Academy–Katy Elementary, Aristoi Classical Academy, Faith West Academy, St. John XXIII College Preparatory, and International Leadership of Texas.
Higher Education
Katy, Texas, offers affordable quality education options beyond the primary and secondary levels. In fact, students can enter kindergarten in Katy ISD and stay in the city until completing their master’s degrees. Residents wanting an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, or the skills needed for a job promotion have several available pathways. This access translates into a quality of place where people want to live, as well as a strong workforce for area employers.
University of Houston-Victoria at Katy provides a quality higher education at an affordable price. A bachelor’s or master’s degree or certificate from UHV will advance your career and help you make your mark on life. As part of the University of Houston System, UHV offers face-to-face programs in Victoria and Katy and online programs that students can take from anywhere. Use the “Majors and Degrees” tool to help see what works best for you.
University of Houston at Katy, an instructional site of the University of Houston and part of the main campus, is located on 46 acres near the Grand Parkway and I-10 in the Katy Academic Building, which it shares with the University of Houston–Victoria and its unique programs. The three-story, 80,000-square-foot facility is home to programs from the UH College of Nursing and the UH Cullen College of Engineering, including Nursing’s traditional Bachelor of Science, Engineering’s prestigious first-in-the-nation Subsea Engineering program, and the UH/HCC Engineering Academy.
Note: University of Houston-Victoria at Katy houses both UH-V at Katy students and UH Katy students, but they are separate institutions that require separate enrollment. UH-V at Katy is a separate university. UH Katy is a separate place to take classes.
Houston Community College-Katy has a new campus on a 24-acre tract of land across the street from the new University of Houston System campus in Katy. Under this unique co-location partnership, students will spend their first two years at HCC and finish at UH or UH-V.
Lone Star College - Cypress Center, a full-service satellite campus near the I-10 Energy Corridor, has served more than 2,000 students annually since its opening in 2013. In addition to core academic courses and transitional education courses, the center houses more than 15,000 square feet of space with industrial labs for workforce programs, including Drafting, Engineering Technology, Machining, and Welding.