10-yr median earnings
$54,211
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Huntsville, Texas
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University is a public institution in Huntsville, Texas. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $16,404
- Avg net price / yr
- $54,211
- 10-yr median earnings
- 54.9%
- 150%-time completion
- 90.3%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
Sam Houston State University pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 23%
- former-student earnings, US
- 90.3%
- acceptance rate
- 54.9%
- 150%-time completion
- +20%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Distant
Carnegie: R2
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Sam Houston State University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C
College Value Score
55/100
Sam Houston State University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B+
$54,211
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C-
$16,404
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
54.9%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$21,983
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
72.3%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
73.3%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$16,404
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
54.9%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 54.9%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Sam Houston State University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Sam Houston State University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Sam Houston State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$54,211 Top 23% higher than 77% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Sam Houston State University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $54,211 | #1162 of 5103 | 77th |
| Average net price | $16,404 | #2359 of 5020 | 53rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 54.9% | #2605 of 4858 | 46th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 17,743 | #163 of 5462 | 97th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
17,743
Undergraduate enrollment
90.3%
Acceptance rate
1,041
SAT average
54.9%
150%-time completion
$54,211
10-yr median earnings
73.3%
First-year retention
How Sam Houston State University ranks in Texas
State rank among 324 reporting Texas colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Sam Houston State University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $54,211 | #60 of 324 | 81st |
| Average net price | $16,404 | #149 of 340 | 56th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 54.9% | #173 of 324 | 47th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 17,743 | #20 of 366 | 95th |
Highest former-student earnings in Texas
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast University-Texas | $102,672 | $53,020 |
| 2 | University of North Texas Health Science Center | $93,615 | - |
| 3 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston | $92,961 | - |
| 4 | Chamberlain University-Texas | $92,405 | $32,209 |
| 5 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | $92,348 | - |
| 6 | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | $90,232 | - |
| 7 | Rice University | $89,718 | $13,370 |
| 8 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | $88,757 | - |
| 9 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio | $82,206 | - |
| 10 | Denver College of Nursing-Houston | $81,809 | - |
| 11 | Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health | $78,724 | - |
| 12 | Southern Methodist University | $78,354 | $40,892 |
| 60 | Sam Houston State UniversityThis school | $54,211 | $16,404 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 90.3% |
| SAT Average | 1,041 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 450 – 550 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 480 – 570 |
| ACT Average | 21 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 17 – 24 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Sam Houston State University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$12,474 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$13,389 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$15,540 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$24,101 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Sam Houston State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $9,228 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $19,068 |
| Average Net Price | $16,404 |
41.3%
Pell Grant Rate
45.6%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,983
Median Debt
$233/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Sam Houston State University rose +29.3% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $12,392 in 2013 to $16,025 in 2023, a rise of $3,633 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $12,3922023 · $16,025
Over the same years, enrollment went +11.6% (16,255 → 18,138 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
66.1%
Female
41.4%
First Generation
Outcomes
73.3%
Retention Rate
$45,337
Median Earnings (6yr)
73.6%
Earning Over $25K
72.3%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 54.9% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 73.3% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $45,337 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $54,211 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 73.6% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 72.3% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $21,983 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $233/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 51 | 3,808 | $57,653 | $96,727 | $22,458 |
| Master's | 23 | 819 | $72,189 | $136,772 | $33,915 |
| Doctoral | 2 | 25 | $89,213 | $89,213 | - |
Top programs at Sam Houston State University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer/Information Techn…
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
$136,772 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$99,143 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$96,727 median earnings
- Construction Engineering T…
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
$93,904 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$91,697 median earnings
- Educational Administration…
Educational Administration and Supervision
$89,213 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$88,132 median earnings
- Homeland Security
Homeland Security
$82,876 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT
$16,403 net price · $1 apart
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, CO
$16,425 net price · $21 apart
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA
$16,383 net price · $21 apart
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Coon Rapids, MN
$16,434 net price · $30 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Sam Houston State University? ▼
Sam Houston State University is a public institution in Huntsville, Texas. The acceptance rate is 90.3%. The average SAT score is 1,041. Undergraduate enrollment is 17,743 students.
How much do Sam Houston State University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Sam Houston State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $54,211 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $45,337.
How much does Sam Houston State University cost? ▼
The average net price at Sam Houston State University is $16,404. In-state tuition is $9,228 and out-of-state tuition is $19,068. Median student debt at graduation is $21,983.
What is the graduation rate at Sam Houston State University? ▼
Sam Houston State University has a 54.9% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 73.3%.
Is Sam Houston State University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Sam Houston State University is $21,983, while former students earn a median of $54,211 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 41% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 72.3% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $233.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Sam Houston State University
- Compare Sam Houston State University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Texas side by side.Browse Texas
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.