73.9%
Acceptance Rate
$9,717
Avg Cost (In-State)
$22,547
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
64.7%
Graduation Rate
38,380
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
December 1
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$75
Interview
Not required
Essays: One essay required through ApplyTexas or Common App, topic varies by application system used
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$89,371
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$88,757
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Information Systems and Services. | $65,574 | $91,983 | 300 |
| Marketing. | $46,927 | $68,139 | 299 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations. | $50,957 | $72,199 | 196 |
| History. | $39,240 | $55,475 | 88 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Texas Top 6% Auto-Admit (UT Austin)
~$20k valueTexas high-schoolers in the top 6% of their graduating class get automatic admission to UT Austin (not necessarily to a specific major).
Who it helps: Texas residents at any in-state public or accredited private high school who can sustain top-6% class rank through the end of junior year.
How to use: Confirm your rank with your school counselor by the end of junior year. Apply to UT Austin via ApplyTexas by the December 1 priority deadline. Indicate intended major; have a backup major ready in case your first choice is full. Check your portal status under Bealert.
Source ↗Texas Top 10% Auto-Admit (other Texas publics)
~$15k valueTexas top 10% gets automatic admission to most other Texas public universities (not UT Austin, which uses a tighter threshold).
Who it helps: Texas residents in the top 10% of their class who didn't make UT Austin's tighter cutoff but want a flagship-level state school.
How to use: Apply via ApplyTexas by each school's priority deadline. Indicate auto-admit status; school will verify with your transcript.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗TEXAS Grant
~$12k valueNeed-based grant for Texas residents attending Texas public universities — up to in-state tuition + mandatory fees.
Who it helps: Texas residents with EFC under $5,000-$6,000 attending a Texas public university. Priority given to first-time freshmen within 16 months of high school graduation.
How to use: File FAFSA or TASFA by the school's priority deadline. The school awards automatically if you qualify.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
University of Houston Tier One Scholarship
Up to $20,000/year (full tuition + fees + housing)
universityTop in-state students with 1450+ SAT or 33+ ACT + top 10% class rank.
Deadline: November 1
Learn more ↗University of Houston Academic Excellence Scholarship
$3,500-$8,000/year
universityAutomatic grid for OOS + transfer; tiered by SAT/ACT and class rank.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗Texas State Presidential Honors Scholarship
$8,000-$28,000 over 4 years
universityTX residents in top 10% with 1300+ SAT/29+ ACT. Renewable.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗UNT Presidential Honors Scholarship
Up to full tuition (~$12,000/year)
universityUNT incoming freshmen with 30+ ACT/1370+ SAT + 3.85 GPA.
Deadline: December 15
Learn more ↗Sam Houston Smith-Hutson Scholarship
Up to $20,000 over 4 years
universitySHSU top freshmen with 1200+ SAT/24+ ACT + 3.5 GPA.
Deadline: March 1
Learn more ↗UTEP Top 10% Scholarship
Up to $4,000/year ($16,000 over 4 years) for Texas Top 10% high school graduates
universityIncoming freshmen graduating in the top 10% of a Texas high school class who enroll at UTEP; stackable with other UTEP merit awards; automatic consideration via admission application.
Deadline: March 1 (priority)
Learn more ↗UTEP Presidential Excellence Scholarship
$4,000-$8,000/year renewable up to 4 years for high-achieving incoming freshmen
universityCompetitive merit award for incoming freshmen with strong academic record (top 10%, ACT 24+/SAT 1160+); GPA maintenance required; automatic consideration via admission file.
Deadline: December 1 (priority)
Learn more ↗Coastal Bend Community Foundation Scholarships
$500-$5,000
localCorpus Christi / Coastal Bend TX area students.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗UTEP Cotton Memorial Scholarship
Tuition + fees for outstanding El Paso area residents
universityEl Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson county residents; demonstrated academic excellence and financial need; renewable with continued enrollment and GPA.
Deadline: February 15
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 73.9% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
73.92%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
41.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
47.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
96.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
49.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
38.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
85.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
64.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Not considered
Visits, info sessions and opening emails don't move the needle here.
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
74.2% acceptance
Both admit around 74% of applicants, with 20k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
74.3% acceptance
Both admit around 74% of applicants, with 29k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA
73.3% acceptance
Both admit around 73% of applicants, with 31k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC
81.8% acceptance
Similar selectivity (82% vs 74%) but out-of-state cost runs $9k — meaningfully less than $23k.
Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, AR
82.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (82% vs 74%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $23k.
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
72% acceptance
Similar selectivity (72% vs 74%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $23k.
Reaches above this college
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
14% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (14% vs 74%) — a stretch target if University of Houston is already on your list.
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
12.9% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (13% vs 74%) — a stretch target if University of Houston is already on your list.
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
11% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (11% vs 74%) — a stretch target if University of Houston is already on your list.
Safer alternatives
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
86.8% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (87% vs 74%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
88.2% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (88% vs 74%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of Houston-Downtown
Houston, TX
90% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (90% vs 74%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
Transfer pathways
Routes in from a community college.
Houston Community College
common course numberingUH accepts transfers via the Texas Common Course Numbering System and has formal partnerships with Houston Community College (HCC) — the largest community college system in Texas — including the UH-HCC Transfer Pathway. Other major feeders include Lone Star College, San Jacinto C…
Lone Star College
common course numberingUH accepts transfers via the Texas Common Course Numbering System and has formal partnerships with Houston Community College (HCC) — the largest community college system in Texas — including the UH-HCC Transfer Pathway. Other major feeders include Lone Star College, San Jacinto C…
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