University of North Texas
Denton, Texas · Public · 72.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 67/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of North Texas scores 67 (Fair Value) on the CampusROI scale - a mediocre result for a large public university with a $15,649 average net price. The school's completion rate of 60.7% is a major liability: nearly four in ten students who enroll do not finish, which inflates debt without producing the earnings that justify it. Median earnings at 6 years sit at $39,300, and the payback period of 9.2 years is long for a relatively affordable institution. UNT carries strong programs in engineering and computer science where outcomes are solid, but its large music, fine arts, radio/TV, and humanities enrollments pull the aggregate numbers down significantly. Median debt of $19,250 is modest, but a 49% debt-to-earnings ratio combined with a 67.4% 3-year loan repayment rate signals real financial stress for graduates outside the STEM and business tracks.
University of North Texas
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,309/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,149/yr |
| Average net price | $15,649/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $62,596 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $57,010 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $19,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $204 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 60.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 34,341 |
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: $11,309/year ($21,149/year out-of-state). Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,649/year, or roughly $62,596 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 $12,311/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,943/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $19,250 in federal loans, which works out to about $204 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $57,010 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.49, 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 | $12,311 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,668 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,473 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,576 |
| $110,001+ | $22,943 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,311 net price per year at UNT - among the lowest net prices in the Texas public system for this income band. With a 38% Pell grant rate, the school enrolls a significant low-income population. For low-income students who complete their degree, especially in a vocational field, the value case is real. The completion rate of 60.7% is the key risk: a student who borrows but does not finish accumulates debt without the earnings credential.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $14,473 net price; those earning $75,001-$110,000 pay $19,576. These are reasonable prices for a large research university in a high-cost metro region. A student paying $14-19k per year who completes a STEM or business degree will have a reasonable payback period. The institutional median payback of 9.2 years, however, reflects the broad mix of programs - families should not expect that figure to apply uniformly.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $22,943 per year, totaling about $91,772 over four years. At that price, UNT competes with lower-cost private alternatives in the region. High-income students with strong credentials should compare the UNT value proposition against UT Austin or Texas A&M, where the brand premium is larger. For students entering lower-demand programs, the $91k total cost is difficult to justify against median 6-year earnings of $39,300.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of North Texas with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $46,917 | C |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $58,004 | B |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $55,562 | C |
| Biology | $56,561 | D |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $104,024 | B+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $54,578 | D |
| Marketing | $66,673 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,453 | C+ |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $47,639 | D |
| Journalism | $57,461 | C+ |
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.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences is UNT's highest-volume high-earning program: 371 graduates, $70,235 year-one, $104,024 year-four, ROI grade B+. Median debt of $24,500 against year-one earnings of $70k produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.349 - manageable. The four-year growth to $104k reflects strong placement in Dallas-Fort Worth's growing tech sector, which includes major employers in financial technology, logistics, and healthcare IT. This is UNT's clearest value proposition for students who get into and complete the CS program.
Accounting
Accounting has 213 graduates earning $61,509 at year one and $79,124 at year four, ROI grade B+, debt-to-earnings 0.333. Public accounting is a structured labor market in Texas, and UNT's accounting program has a clear regional reputation in the Dallas-Fort Worth corridor. The four-year figure of $79k reflects the CPA licensure track, where salary growth is predictable. Median debt of $20,500 is workable against these earnings.
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies is UNT's largest program by graduate count at 540, with $53,733 year-one and $58,004 year-four earnings and an ROI grade of B. The flat earnings trajectory from year one to year four (only $4,271 growth) is a warning sign - these graduates are entering labor markets with limited earnings growth in the early career period. This program captures a large population of students who may not have had a clear major and ended up in a catch-all designation; outcomes vary enormously within this bucket.
Psychology
Psychology is UNT's largest named program at 616 graduates, with $30,396 year-one and $46,917 year-four earnings and a C-grade ROI (debt-to-earnings 0.642). The year-one figure of $30k and four-year figure of $47k are below the national median for college graduates and suggest most psychology graduates are either underemployed, in graduate school, or in human services roles. With median debt of $19,500, the monthly payment burden is real against starting salaries in this range. Students should be clear-eyed about the employment market for bachelor's-level psychology graduates before enrolling.
Music
Music has 236 graduates - a large cohort for a non-conservatory program - with $31,450 year-one and $55,705 year-four earnings, ROI grade D, debt-to-earnings 0.778. UNT's College of Music is nationally recognized for jazz and has genuine academic prestige, but Scorecard outcomes are modest. The median debt of $24,456 against a year-one salary of $31k is a 0.778 ratio - a meaningful burden. Students pursuing this program should have a concrete career plan beyond performance, as the four-year earnings trajectory to $55k is modest for the debt load carried.
Linguistic and Comparative Language Studies
Linguistics is UNT's lowest-scoring program with an F ROI grade: 22 graduates, $20,522 year-one, $37,441 year-four, debt-to-earnings ratio 1.015. Graduates owe more than their annual salary at year one. With median debt of $20,824 and year-one earnings barely above $20k, this program produces graduates in significant financial distress by Scorecard measures. Students drawn to linguistics should consider whether a combined major with CS, data science, or education would improve their employment prospects.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.9% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.4% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.1% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.2% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of North Texas’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 72.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 480-600 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-630 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-27 |
| Enrollment | 34,341 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 38.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,092 |
A 72.2% acceptance rate makes UNT essentially open admission for most in-state applicants. The SAT and ACT ranges are wide - ACT 19-27 - which means the admitted pool spans from college-ready to underprepared. This accessibility is part of UNT's mission as a regional public university, but it also explains the 60.7% completion rate: a significant share of admitted students do not finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
UNT's listed peers include Angelo State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, University of Arkansas, University of Alabama, and University of Maryland Global Campus. UNT (ROI 67) sits at the lower end of this group. University of Arkansas and Alabama both serve as flagship public universities with broader name recognition and larger alumni networks. UNT's completion rate of 60.7% is the clearest liability in this comparison set - peers with similar price points but higher completion rates produce more consistent outcomes. The school's strength is its scale and DFW location, which provides labor market access for STEM and business graduates.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Texas (this school) | 67 | $15,649 | $57,010 |
| University of Arkansas | 69 | $18,209 | $58,191 |
| The University of Alabama | 64 | $22,420 | $59,221 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | 63 | $22,063 | $65,287 |
| 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 North Texas side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
UNT admits 72.2% of applicants with a modest academic profile - SAT Math 480-600, Reading 500-630, ACT 19-27 - indicating the university functions largely as an open-access institution for the North Texas region. At 34,341 undergraduates, it is a large commuter-oriented research university where the student experience is heavily self-directed. Students who arrive with a clear vocational target in engineering, accounting, CS, or construction technology will find programs that deliver on earnings. Students who arrive undeclared or who pursue arts, communications, or social science majors face a genuinely difficult labor market - UNT's outcomes in those fields reflect national trends but are made worse by low completion rates.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
University of North Texas is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $15,649 a year after aid ($62,596 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $57,010 a decade out, the cost takes about 9.2 years to earn back. That's roughly average - not a bargain, not a mistake.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: concerning loan repayment rates.
Median debt of $19,250 against $57,010 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.