Public · Houston, Texas

University of Houston-Downtown

University of Houston-Downtown is a public institution in Houston, 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.

$10,542
Avg net price / yr
$53,551
10-yr median earnings
33.5%
150%-time completion
90.0%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

University of Houston-Downtown pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 24%
former-student earnings, US
90.0%
acceptance rate
33.5%
150%-time completion
+9%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large Carnegie: Master's (L)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this University of Houston-Downtown 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 ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), 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
51/100
University of Houston-Downtown

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+
$53,551
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B+
$10,542
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
33.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,750
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C
61.5%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
67.1%
First-year students returning for year two
University of Houston-Downtown vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$53,551

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$10,542

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

33.5%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 33.5%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - University of Houston-Downtown vs peers

University of Houston-Downtown positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. University of Houston-Downtown positioned by… Carnegie Classification: Master's (L) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $32K $56K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $3K $22K Avg Net Price ($) University of Houston-Downtown (you are here): $54K earn · $11K net · 33% grad You are here - University of Hous… Tarleton State University: $53K earn · $21K net · 50% grad Tarleton State Uni… St Philip's College: $38K earn · $4K net · 28% grad St Philip's College Northwest Vista College: $42K earn · $5K net · 32% grad Northwest Vista Co… East Texas A&M University: $50K earn · $12K net · 44% grad East Texas A&M Uni… Blinn College District: $46K earn · $11K net · 11% grad Blinn College Dist… Del Mar College: $39K earn · $3K net · 12% grad Houston City College: $39K earn · $6K net · 17% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

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 University of Houston-Downtown 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.

University of Houston-Downtown: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$53,551 Top 24% higher than 76% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

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 University of Houston-Downtown National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $53,551 #1206 of 5103 76th
Average net price $10,542 #1225 of 5020 76th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 33.5% #4066 of 4858 16th
Undergraduate enrollment 12,555 #259 of 5462 95th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

12,555
Undergraduate enrollment
90.0%
Acceptance rate
1,029
SAT average
33.5%
150%-time completion
$53,551
10-yr median earnings
67.1%
First-year retention

How University of Houston-Downtown ranks in Texas

State rank among 324 reporting Texas colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric University of Houston-Downtown State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $53,551 #64 of 324 80th
Average net price $10,542 #78 of 340 77th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 33.5% #256 of 324 21st
Undergraduate enrollment 12,555 #28 of 366 92nd

Highest former-student earnings in Texas

Admissions

Admission Rate 90.0%
SAT Average 1,029
SAT Math (25th-75th) 460 – 550
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 480 – 560
ACT (25th-75th) 16 – 22
0%100%90%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at University of Houston-Downtown

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at University of Houston-Downtown - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $7,708
Out-of-State Tuition $17,548
Average Net Price $10,542
55.2%
Pell Grant Rate
29.8%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,750
Median Debt
$199/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at University of Houston-Downtown rose +34.2% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $10,898 in 2013 to $14,623 in 2023, a rise of $3,725 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $10,8982014: $7,1502015: $7,4652016: $7,9322017: $8,9502018: $7,7892019: $6,8482020: $12,0442021: $13,1002022: $15,2552023: $14,623
2013 · $10,8982023 · $14,623

Over the same years, enrollment went -3.6% (13,297 → 12,812 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

65.4%
Female
52.7%
First Generation

Outcomes

67.1%
Retention Rate
$49,120
Median Earnings (6yr)
72.3%
Earning Over $25K
61.5%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 33.5%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 67.1%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $49,120
Median earnings 10 years after entry $53,551
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 72.3%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 61.5%
Median federal student debt At completion $18,750
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $199/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 32 3,152 $61,617 $112,244 $20,306
Master's 5 469 $82,804 $117,242 $36,775

Top programs at University of Houston-Downtown by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

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.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Statistics Master's - $117,242 $30,548
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's 16 $112,244 -
Insurance Bachelor's 20 $98,510 -
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 392 $95,084 $41,000
Criminal Justice and Corrections Master's 52 $72,529 $40,760
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 118 $72,528 $15,830
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 272 $69,712 $21,875
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 272 $67,499 $19,750
Management Information Systems and Services Bachelor's 128 $66,881 $18,750
Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's 171 $66,591 $19,545
International Business Bachelor's 47 $66,556 $14,000
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Master's 10 $66,115 -
Curriculum and Instruction Master's 15 $63,052 $34,792
Mathematics Bachelor's 15 $62,576 $16,055
Marketing Bachelor's 76 $61,866 $17,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at University of Houston-Downtown?
University of Houston-Downtown is a public institution in Houston, Texas. The acceptance rate is 90.0%. The average SAT score is 1,029. Undergraduate enrollment is 12,555 students.
How much do University of Houston-Downtown former students earn?
Federally aided former students at University of Houston-Downtown who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $53,551 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $49,120.
How much does University of Houston-Downtown cost?
The average net price at University of Houston-Downtown is $10,542. In-state tuition is $7,708 and out-of-state tuition is $17,548. Median student debt at graduation is $18,750.
What is the graduation rate at University of Houston-Downtown?
University of Houston-Downtown has a 33.5% 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 67.1%.
Is University of Houston-Downtown worth the student debt?
The median student debt at University of Houston-Downtown is $18,750, while former students earn a median of $53,551 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 35% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 61.5% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $199.

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.

Where to go next from University of Houston-Downtown

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.