Sul Ross State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Alpine, Texas. It enrolls 1,396 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes5
Value65
Affordability86
Selectivity4
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 98.7%, Sul Ross State University is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
98.7%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
930 – 1110
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
15 – 24
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Sul Ross State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
4.0 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Sul Ross State University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $13,286 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$13,286
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
58%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
41%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$7,592
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$17,672
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,892
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,422
Books & Supplies
$2,167
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,927
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,927
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,529
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$11,110
$30,001 – $48,000
$11,722
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,261
$75,001 – $110,000
$18,596
Over $110,000
$20,279
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,25110%percentile
$4,21525%percentile
$15,900Medianpercentile
$17,50075%percentile
$28,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $11,813
↓ $4,087
No Pell $8,250
↓ $7,650
Dependent students $10,256
↓ $5,644
Independent students $12,767
↓ $3,133
Female students $11,496
↓ $4,404
Male students $10,000
↓ $5,900
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,102, less than completers ($15,900), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
14% of full-time students who enrolled at Sul Ross State University graduate within six years, and 52% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
14%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
52%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Sul Ross State University earn a median of $41,871 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$41,871
Earning > $25K
67%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$34,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$49,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$40,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$42,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$45,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $15,000, about 30% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
14.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 64% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Sul Ross State University is home to 1,396 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 46% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
1,396
Part-Time
40%
First-Generation
46%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 67.8%947
White 19.2%268
Black 8.0%112
Other 2.7%38
International 0.7%10
Asian 0.1%2
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Sul Ross State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: RemoteAlpine, Texas
Housing
Mostly residential671 beds on campus
Adult Learners
26%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Sul Ross State University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
45 distinct programs across
21 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Sul Ross State University is 11:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,903
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$26M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$67,417
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
79 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
21
27%
$80,332
Associate Professors
23
29%
$73,893
Assistant Professors
19
24%
$61,936
Instructors
6
8%
$54,520
Lecturers
10
13%
$43,555
Pros & Cons of Sul Ross State University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Sul Ross State University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, Sul Ross State University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sul Ross State University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Sul Ross State University.
Is Sul Ross State University hard to get into?
Sul Ross State University has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 98.7%.
What is the acceptance rate at Sul Ross State University?
Sul Ross State University has an acceptance rate of 98.7%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Sul Ross State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Sul Ross State University scored between 930 and 1110 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for Sul Ross State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Sul Ross State University scored between 15 and 24 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Sul Ross State University cost?
The average net price after aid at Sul Ross State University is $13,286 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Sul Ross State University worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $41,871 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $13,286 per year. That's roughly 3.2x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Sul Ross State University known for?
Sul Ross State University is best known for its programs in Teacher Education (K-12), Business, Criminal Justice. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Sul Ross State University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Sul Ross State University are $41,871, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Sul Ross State University accredited?
Yes. Sul Ross State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Sul Ross State University?
Sul Ross State University enrolls 1,396 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Sul Ross State University?
Sul Ross State University graduates 14% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Sul Ross State University a public or private college?
Sul Ross State University is a Public institution.
Where is Sul Ross State University located?
Sul Ross State University is located in Alpine, Texas.
What programs does Sul Ross State University offer?
Sul Ross State University offers 45 distinct programs. The most popular include Teacher Education (K-12), Business, Criminal Justice.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Sul Ross State University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Sul Ross State University is 11:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Texas
Other colleges in Texas share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
