Huston-Tillotson University
Austin, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 39.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 14/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Huston-Tillotson University, an HBCU private nonprofit in Austin, TX, scores 14 on the ROI index. Sticker tuition is $26,709, net price is $19,719. Average earnings at six years are $29,900, rising to a median $42,937 at 10 years - the 10-year recovery is real but the early-career years are weak. The damaging numbers: median debt of $30,750 produces a 1.028 debt-to-earnings ratio (debt exceeds first-year earnings), payback period is 27.6 years, and the completion rate is just 33.9%. The three-year repayment rate of 50.6% is also poor. The earnings premium over high-school baseline is 10.1%. Enrollment is 1,005, Pell rate is 61%, signaling a heavy low-income enrollment that the cost structure is not adequately serving. HBCUs face structural underfunding that distorts these metrics; the algorithm is honest about the math but not about the cause. Prospective students should weigh institutional mission against the debt-load reality the data reflects.
How Huston-Tillotson University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score14/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.03 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate33.9% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period27.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Huston-Tillotson University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $26,709/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $26,709/yr |
| Average net price | $19,719/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $78,876 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,937 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $30,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $326 |
| Estimated payback period | 27.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 33.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,005 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $26,709/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $19,719/year, or roughly $78,876 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $19,219/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,418/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $30,750, which works out to about $326 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,900) and comes to 1.03, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $19,219 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,361 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,487 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,757 |
| $110,001+ | $24,418 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Households at $0-$30,000 pay $19,219 net, while $30,001-$48,000 pays $19,361. These are roughly flat - the institution's aid does not meaningfully reduce price for low-income families relative to the median. With $29,900 six-year average earnings, the four-year cost-to-earnings ratio is roughly 2.6x, weak.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families pay $20,487 ($48,001-$75,000) and $22,757 ($75,001-$110,000). The price climbs by about $3,500 across these bands - a normal progressive aid curve.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $24,418. Total 4-year cost approaches $98,000. The HBCU mission has real value for some high-income Black families seeking culturally-aligned education, but on conventional ROI math against $42,937 ten-year earnings, the price doesn't clear.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 31.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 50.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 32.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 41.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Huston-Tillotson University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 39.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 370-570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 430-590 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 16-28 |
| Enrollment | 1,005 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 61.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,364 |
Admission rate is reported at 39.1%, with SAT mid-range of 370-570 math and 430-590 reading, and ACT mid-range 16-28. The selective admit rate combined with relatively wide score bands suggests holistic admissions where the 39.1% figure may reflect application self-selection rather than tight academic gating. The 33.9% completion rate, despite the selective admit rate, is the more concerning signal - only one in three enrollees finishes, well below what the admit profile would predict.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huston-Tillotson University (this school) | 14 | $19,719 | $42,937 |
| Oakwood University | 14 | $25,669 | $42,488 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
| Jackson State University | 14 | $23,836 | $39,060 |
| Fisk University | 14 | $32,020 | $45,454 |
Who Thrives Here
Fits Texas-region Black students seeking the HBCU experience and Austin metro placement, particularly those with family or community ties to the institution who can manage the debt-to-earnings risk through targeted majors. Strong outcomes likely cluster in students who land Austin-area professional placements; students entering more constrained labor markets face a real risk of the median 1.028 debt-to-earnings ratio.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Huston-Tillotson University scores 14/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $19,719 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,937 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 27.6 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 33.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.03 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 50.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $30,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.03. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Huston-Tillotson University: Common Questions
Is Huston-Tillotson University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Huston-Tillotson University scores 14/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $19,719 a year after aid against $42,937 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 27.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Huston-Tillotson University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $19,719 a year, or roughly $78,876 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Huston-Tillotson University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,937 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,137 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Huston-Tillotson University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 27.6 years for Huston-Tillotson University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Huston-Tillotson University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $30,750, against average earnings of $29,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.03. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Huston-Tillotson University?
The six-year graduation rate is 33.9%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.