Texas College
Tyler, Texas · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 4/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Texas College scores 4 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The key metrics are stark: 13.75% completion rate, a payback period coded at 999 (effectively incalculable), a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.26, and a repayment rate of just 33.6%. Average 6-year earnings of $24,600 against $31,000 median debt means graduates owe more than 15 months of annual earnings. Fewer than 1 in 7 enrollees completes a degree. The net price of $10,958 per year is relatively affordable, but financial aid combined with near-zero completion means most students leave without a degree and with debt they cannot service. Texas College is a historically Black university in Tyler, Texas, affiliated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, serving 614 undergraduates with a Pell grant rate of 83.8%. The institutional profile is not an indictment of the mission, but the data mandates honest communication about the financial risks.
How Texas College 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 Score4/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.26 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate13.8% - 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 period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Texas College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,008/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $10,008/yr |
| Average net price | $10,958/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $43,832 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $33,752 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 13.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 614 |
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: $10,008/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $10,958/year, or roughly $43,832 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 $9,639/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $16,106/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $31,000, which works out to about $329 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($24,600) and comes to 1.26, 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 | $9,639 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,342 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,410 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,598 |
| $110,001+ | $16,106 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students from the 0-30000 bracket pay $9,639 per year - $38,556 over four years. At a 13.75% completion rate, the expected value of enrolling is strongly negative in financial terms. Most students who borrow for Texas College will not complete and will carry debt without the degree earnings needed to service it. Income-driven repayment and forgiveness programs are the realistic debt management path for students who do not complete.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $12,410 per year and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $13,598.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $16,106 per year - $64,424 over four years. The institutional community and mission are values considerations that the data alone cannot resolve.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Texas College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $44,386 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $43,156 | F |
| Biology | $37,296 | D |
| Social Work | $17,759 | F |
| Business Administration and Management | $48,433 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice (17 graduates) earns $34,386 at year one and $43,156 at year four with $39,423 median debt and a 1.146 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade F). Graduates owe more than their annual earnings. The F-grade reflects the misalignment between program cost and earnings in a field where starting salaries are modest. For the small share of students who complete criminal justice at Texas College, the debt burden will require income-driven repayment management.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (25 graduates) earns $26,615 at year one and $44,386 at year four with $37,578 median debt and a 1.412 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade F). Business graduates owe 1.41 times annual earnings. Even accounting for the four-year trajectory to $44,386, the debt burden is severe relative to a field that should be delivering stronger returns. These outcomes reflect both the difficulty of the student population and the limited regional job market for Texas College business graduates.
Social Work
Social Work (4 graduates) earns $17,759 at year one with $34,000 median debt and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.915 (ROI grade F). Graduates owe nearly twice their annual income. Social work is a low-earning vocation, but $34,000 in debt against $17,759 in earnings creates a financial situation that is functionally unmanageable without income-driven repayment and likely Public Service Loan Forgiveness over 10 years.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 26.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 33.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 23.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 32.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Texas College’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
| Enrollment | 614 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 83.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,251 |
No admission rate or test score data is available for Texas College. The institution is effectively open enrollment. The enrollment decision should be made with complete awareness of the completion rate data and with a plan for how a student will navigate the academic and financial supports needed to reach graduation.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas College (this school) | 4 | $10,958 | $33,752 |
| Abilene Christian University | 51 | $26,182 | $55,736 |
| Arlington Baptist University | 14 | $24,906 | $44,644 |
| Tougaloo College | 7 | $17,043 | $34,724 |
| Allen University | 3 | $10,972 | $30,497 |
| Lane College | 3 | $10,904 | $31,670 |
Who Thrives Here
Texas College serves 614 undergraduates, predominantly Pell-eligible, in Tyler, Texas. It is an HBCU with a faith-based mission serving students who may have limited access to other higher education options. No admission rate or test score data is available. The Pell rate is 83.8%. Students drawn to the institution for its HBCU community and mission should understand the completion challenge - 13.75% degree completion means the vast majority of students who enroll do not finish. Support for student persistence and completion is the critical institutional gap.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Texas College scores 4/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $10,958 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $33,752 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 13.8% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.26 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 33.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $24,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.26. 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.
Texas College: Common Questions
Is Texas College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Texas College scores 4/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $10,958 a year after aid against $33,752 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Texas College 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 $10,958 a year, or roughly $43,832 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 Texas College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $33,752 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Texas College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Texas College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Texas College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,000, against average earnings of $24,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.26. 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 Texas College?
The six-year graduation rate is 13.8%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.