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. 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. Average earnings at 6 years sit at $39,300. 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 |
| Average 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), 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 $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.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $19,250, which works out to about $204 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,300) and comes to 0.49, 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 | $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. 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. 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. For students entering lower-demand programs, average 6-year earnings are $39,300 against that $91k total.
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) means 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). 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
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 has a high debt-to-earnings ratio 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 | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of North Texas’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 | 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.
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. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
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: a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $19,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49, 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 North Texas: Common Questions
Is University of North Texas worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether University of North Texas is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 67/100 on our ROI scale. At $15,649 a year after aid ($62,596 over four years) against $57,010 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 9.2 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does University of North Texas 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 $15,649 a year, or roughly $62,596 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 North Texas graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $57,010 ten years after enrolling, roughly $15,210 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 North Texas?
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 9.2 years for University of North Texas. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of North Texas graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $19,250, against average earnings of $39,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49. 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 North Texas?
The six-year graduation rate is 60.7%. 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.