University of Houston
Houston, Texas · Public · 73.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 80/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The University of Houston scores 80 (Strong Value) on the CampusROI scale. In-state tuition is $9,717 and net price is $14,276. Average 6-year earnings of $47,100 and a 7.2-year payback are solid. Median debt of $18,194 is low relative to earnings, producing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.386. The 64.6% completion rate is above average for an open-access urban institution. Houston's status as the energy capital of the US, the fourth-largest metro in the country, and a major medical center creates direct employer access that drives post-graduation earnings above what UH's academic profile alone would produce. Chemical Engineering ($84,468 year one), Electrical Engineering ($86,136), and Nursing ($85,740) lead the program outcomes.
University of Houston scores in the top 13% of the schools we score, with strong earnings outcomes relative to cost.
University of Houston
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,717/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,547/yr |
| Average net price | $14,276/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $57,104 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $62,377 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $47,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,194 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $193 |
| Estimated payback period | 7.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 64.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 38,380 |
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: $9,717/year ($22,547/year out-of-state), 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 $14,276/year, or roughly $57,104 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 $10,929/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,811/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,194, which works out to about $193 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($47,100) and comes to 0.39, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $10,929 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,220 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,528 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,197 |
| $110,001+ | $23,811 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Low-income families (under $30,000) pay $10,929 net per year at UH - a strong value.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $12,528 per year, and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $19,197. At these prices, UH's combination of Houston employer access, program depth, and research infrastructure represents strong value. Engineering and CS students from middle-income families paying $12,528-$19,197 per year with Houston-area employment prospects face very favorable ROI calculations.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income families ($110,000+) pay $23,811 per year - about $95,000 over four years. At $47,100 average earnings and a 7.2-year payback, this is sound for engineering, CS, and nursing graduates.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of Houston with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $52,892 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $73,125 | B |
| Finance and Financial Management | $78,009 | B+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $53,483 | D |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $98,790 | B+ |
| Biology | $57,716 | C |
| Management Information Systems | $91,983 | B+ |
| Marketing | $68,139 | B |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $54,471 | C |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $58,705 | B |
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.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering is UH's top ROI program: 89 graduates, $84,468 first-year earnings, $110,184 at four years, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.237 (ROI grade A). Median debt of $20,000 is low relative to earnings. Houston's petrochemical corridor - the largest in the world - creates unmatched employer access for ChemE graduates. ExxonMobil, Shell, LyondellBasell, and dozens of downstream firms recruit directly from UH's Cullen College of Engineering. The four-year figure of $110k reflects the premium that energy-sector chemical engineering careers command.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering (83 graduates) earns $86,136 first-year and $107,399 at four years, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.298 (ROI grade B+). Median debt of $25,692 is moderate. EE graduates feed into Houston's energy, technology, and medical device industries. The Texas Medical Center - the largest in the world - creates direct demand for biomedical electronics and medical device engineering graduates that augments the traditional energy-sector pipeline.
Computer and Information Sciences
CS is UH's highest-volume strong program at 350 graduates, with $72,381 first-year earnings, $98,790 at four years, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.259 (ROI grade B+). Median debt of $18,751 is low. At $14,276 net price, CS at UH has a strong cost-to-earnings ratio.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing (81 graduates) earns $85,740 first-year and $91,276 at four years, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.307 (ROI grade B+). Houston's Texas Medical Center is one of the largest employers of nurses in the world, creating demand that is essentially unlimited relative to supply from Texas nursing programs. Median debt of $26,283 is moderate.
Psychology
Psychology is UH's largest single program at 693 graduates - an extraordinary concentration in a program that produces weak near-term earnings. First-year median of $32,653, four-year of $52,892, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.628 (ROI grade C). The 693-graduate cohort represents a massive volume of students entering the labor market in a field where the bachelor's degree alone does not provide clinical credentialing.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 70.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 75.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 67.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 72.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Houston’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 | 73.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 570-670 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 590-670 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 23-29 |
| Enrollment | 38,380 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $13,242 |
UH's 73.9% admission rate with SAT 570-670 Math and 590-670 Reading describes a moderately selective institution that admits the large majority of prepared applicants. The Carnegie R1 research university designation means UH has research infrastructure that belies its admission rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston (this school) | 80 | $14,276 | $62,377 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | 84 | $16,264 | $63,742 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | 80 | $25,346 | $69,738 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 76 | $19,151 | $61,251 |
| Angelo State University | 49 | $15,091 | $50,116 |
| Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi | 48 | $15,225 | $51,865 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See University of Houston side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
UH admits 73.9% of applicants (SAT mid-range 570-670 Math, 590-670 Reading; ACT 23-29) at 38,380 students - a large, diverse urban research university. At 41.7% Pell grant rate, the school enrolls substantial numbers of first-generation and low-income students. UH fits students targeting engineering, nursing, CS, business, or energy-sector careers who can take advantage of Houston's unique industrial concentration. It is a moderate fit for arts, humanities, and social science students who are prepared for a commuter-heavy urban campus environment.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, University of Houston pays off. You'd pay about $14,276 a year after aid ($57,104 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $62,377 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 7.2 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, manageable debt relative to earnings.
Median debt of $18,194 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $47,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
University of Houston: Common Questions
Is University of Houston worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students University of Houston pays off. It scores 80/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $14,276 a year after aid ($57,104 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $62,377 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 7.2 years to earn back.
How much does University of Houston 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 $14,276 a year, or roughly $57,104 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 University of Houston graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $62,377 ten years after enrolling, roughly $20,577 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 University of Houston?
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 7.2 years for University of Houston. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Houston graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,194, against average earnings of $47,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at University of Houston?
The six-year graduation rate is 64.6%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.