Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Southwest
Question 1
Where are you right now?
Why we ask: a laid-off week and a thinking-about-a-move week look nothing alike. No résumé, no account.
Key facts
- #1 Corpus Christi, TX: 33%
- #2 Lubbock, TX: 26%
- #3 Midland, TX: 25%
- 37 cities ranked in the Southwest
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 14% across all cities in our data.
- 1Corpus Christi TX33%
- 2Lubbock TX26%
- 3Midland TX25%
- 4Carrollton TX25%
- 5Tyler TX20%
- 6Denton TX20%
- 7Lewisville TX20%
- 8Waco TX19%
- 9Amarillo TX18%
- 10Mesa AZ18%
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Corpus Christi (33%) is well clear of Mesa at #10 (18%).
- Mesa is the largest market in the top ten, with 154 jobs matched to an occupation behind its figure.
- Cities with fewer than 80 jobs matched to an occupation are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Some cities hire for a bigger share of occupations that need no four-year degree. The share shows where a job seeker without a bachelor's has the largest part of the market to aim at.
How to use it
Use it to compare cities for a search without a four-year degree, and read it beside the count so you do not chase a small market with a high share.
The top 25
- 1
Corpus Christi TX
33%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 28
- Share of the city's jobs
- 33%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 86
Hiring most here: American Electric Power, CHRISTUS Health, Veterans Health Administration
Based on 86 openings.
- 2
Lubbock TX
26%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 25
- Share of the city's jobs
- 26%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 96
Hiring most here: Prosperity Bancshares, Johnson Controls International, Terracon Consultants
Based on 96 openings.
- 3
Midland TX
25%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 31
- Share of the city's jobs
- 25%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 124
Hiring most here: Patterson UTI Energy, SM Energy, AST SpaceMobile
Based on 124 openings.
- 4
Carrollton TX
25%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 24
- Share of the city's jobs
- 25%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 96
Hiring most here: MB2 Dental, Trane U.s., PennyMac Financial Services
Based on 96 openings.
- 5
Tyler TX
20%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 17
- Share of the city's jobs
- 20%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 84
Hiring most here: CHRISTUS Health, Trane U.s., Delek US
Based on 84 openings.
- 7
Lewisville TX
20%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 17
- Share of the city's jobs
- 20%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 87
Hiring most here: Moonshot, Paccar, Quest Diagnostics
Based on 87 openings.
- 8
Waco TX
19%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 19
- Share of the city's jobs
- 19%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 102
Hiring most here: Baylor University, L3HARRIS Technologies, Harris Health Strategic Fund
Based on 102 openings.
- 9
Amarillo TX
18%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 16
- Share of the city's jobs
- 18%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 87
Hiring most here: Mortenson, Veterans Health Administration, Xcel Energy
Based on 87 openings.
- 10
Mesa AZ
18%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 28
- Share of the city's jobs
- 18%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 154
Hiring most here: Emcor, Legends / ASM Global, Amazon
Based on 154 openings.
- 11
Albuquerque NM
18%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 43
- Share of the city's jobs
- 18%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 240
Hiring most here: University of New Mexico-Main Campus, Rocket Lab, Kairos Power
Based on 240 openings.
- 12
Abilene TX
17%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 15
- Share of the city's jobs
- 17%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 88
Hiring most here: Oracle, Kiewit Infrastructure South, Hardin-Simmons University
Based on 88 openings.
- 13
Tulsa OK
16%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 60
- Share of the city's jobs
- 16%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 365
Hiring most here: BOK Financial, Aaon, Helmerich & Payne
Based on 365 openings.
- 14
El Paso TX
16%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 35
- Share of the city's jobs
- 16%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 214
Hiring most here: Confidential, Tenet Healthcare, Faith Technologies
Based on 214 openings.
- 15
Las Vegas NV
16%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 104
- Share of the city's jobs
- 16%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 647
Hiring most here: Caesars Entertainment, Allegiant Travel Company, Jt4
Based on 647 openings.
- 16
Houston TX
16%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 481
- Share of the city's jobs
- 16%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 3,033
Hiring most here: Axiom Space, Trinzic, Fervo Energy
Based on 3,033 openings.
- 17
Frisco TX
15%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 18
- Share of the city's jobs
- 15%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 119
Hiring most here: Baker Tilly, The Haskell Company, Intuit
Based on 119 openings.
- 18
San Antonio TX
15%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 136
- Share of the city's jobs
- 15%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 904
Hiring most here: H-E-B, University Health San Antonio, UT Health San Antonio
Based on 904 openings.
- 19
Scottsdale AZ
15%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 81
- Share of the city's jobs
- 15%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 550
Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Axon Enterprise, AMI Semiconductor
Based on 550 openings.
- 20
Sparks NV
15%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 15
- Share of the city's jobs
- 15%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 103
Hiring most here: Panasonic Energy North America, Amazon, Fleet
Based on 103 openings.
- 21
Dallas TX
14%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 401
- Share of the city's jobs
- 14%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 2,850
Hiring most here: Amazon, Shield AI, Texas Instruments
Based on 2,850 openings.
- 22
Addison TX
14%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 17
- Share of the city's jobs
- 14%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 122
Hiring most here: National Life Group, National Life Insurance Company, Bank of America
Based on 122 openings.
- 24
Oklahoma City OK
14%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 55
- Share of the city's jobs
- 14%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 402
Hiring most here: Love's Travel Stops, CACI International, Northrop Grumman
Based on 402 openings.
- 25
The Woodlands TX
13%
- Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
- 16
- Share of the city's jobs
- 13%
- Jobs matched to an occupation
- 119
Hiring most here: Entergy, Crane, Waste Connections
Based on 119 openings.
Full ranking
All 37 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corpus Christi TX | 33% | 86 |
| 2 | Lubbock TX | 26% | 96 |
| 3 | Midland TX | 25% | 124 |
| 4 | Carrollton TX | 25% | 96 |
| 5 | Tyler TX | 20% | 84 |
| 6 | Denton TX | 20% | 115 |
| 7 | Lewisville TX | 20% | 87 |
| 8 | Waco TX | 19% | 102 |
| 9 | Amarillo TX | 18% | 87 |
| 10 | Mesa AZ | 18% | 154 |
| 11 | Albuquerque NM | 18% | 240 |
| 12 | Abilene TX | 17% | 88 |
| 13 | Tulsa OK | 16% | 365 |
| 14 | El Paso TX | 16% | 214 |
| 15 | Las Vegas NV | 16% | 647 |
| 16 | Houston TX | 16% | 3,033 |
| 17 | Frisco TX | 15% | 119 |
| 18 | San Antonio TX | 15% | 904 |
| 19 | Scottsdale AZ | 15% | 550 |
| 20 | Sparks NV | 15% | 103 |
| 21 | Dallas TX | 14% | 2,850 |
| 22 | Addison TX | 14% | 122 |
| 23 | Tempe AZ | 14% | 481 |
| 24 | Oklahoma City OK | 14% | 402 |
| 25 | The Woodlands TX | 13% | 119 |
| 26 | Reno NV | 13% | 231 |
| 27 | Fort Worth TX | 13% | 830 |
| 28 | Phoenix AZ | 13% | 1,996 |
| 29 | Irving TX | 13% | 648 |
| 30 | Austin TX | 12% | 4,222 |
| 31 | Arlington TX | 12% | 129 |
| 32 | Chandler AZ | 11% | 332 |
| 33 | Tucson AZ | 11% | 496 |
| 34 | Richardson TX | 11% | 284 |
| 35 | Plano TX | 11% | 680 |
| 36 | Grand Prairie TX | 11% | 121 |
| 37 | Spring TX | 9% | 211 |
How this ranking works
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.
Sample bar: cities with fewer than 80 openings are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles, matched to standard occupation (SOC) codes; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35: typical entry-level education and projected employment change by occupation. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which city ranks first: cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the southwest?
- Corpus Christi leads the Southwest: 33% of its jobs are in occupations that do not typically need a four-year degree, against 14% across all cities in our data.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 37 cities have at least 80 jobs matched to an occupation, so the list has 37 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics). A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Southwest
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Southwest
- Counties with the lowest unemployment in the Southwest
- Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Southwest
- Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Southwest
- Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Southwest
- Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Southwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-southwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-southwest">Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Southwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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