Texas State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in San Marcos, Texas. It enrolls 36,177 students (a very large 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
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes52
Value72
Affordability64
Selectivity27
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 89.3%, Texas State University is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
89.3%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
980 – 1200
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 25
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyRequiredSAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Texas State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
8.3 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Texas 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 $16,805 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$16,805
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
37%
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)
$11,450
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$22,930
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,630
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,850
Books & Supplies
$760
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,290
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,070
Total Cost of Attendance
$28,073
Application fee: $75 (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
$12,715
$30,001 – $48,000
$13,557
$48,001 – $75,000
$13,804
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,028
Over $110,000
$24,713
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.
$3,50010%percentile
$5,67925%percentile
$21,000Medianpercentile
$24,99475%percentile
$32,19390%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 $16,260
↓ $4,740
No Pell $12,500
↓ $8,500
Dependent students $14,500
↓ $6,500
Independent students $16,688
↓ $4,312
Female students $15,000
↓ $6,000
Male students $14,393
↓ $6,607
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($21,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
60% of full-time students who enrolled at Texas State University graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Texas State University earn a median of $56,906 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$56,906
Earning > $25K
83%
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
$44,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$59,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$48,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$50,900
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$53,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $14,400, about 24% 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 ↑
18.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 81% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Texas State University is home to 36,177 students, a sprawling student community. Some distinctive traits: 36% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
36,177
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
36%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 41.1%14,876
White 36.4%13,158
Black 9.5%3,433
Other 3.5%1,259
Asian 2.8%1,009
International 2.0%716
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Texas State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Small CitySan Marcos, Texas
Housing
Partly residential6,753 beds available
Adult Learners
8%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Texas State University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
156 distinct programs across
28 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 Texas State University is 21:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
21:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,256
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$359M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$79,789
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,350 instructional faculty across 4 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
271
20%
$112,658
Associate Professors
275
20%
$92,410
Assistant Professors
238
18%
$82,088
Lecturers
566
42%
$57,927
Pros & Cons of Texas State University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Texas 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
Wide variety of programs and student life
Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
Larger class sizes than typical
Large institutional setting can feel impersonal
Best for:
Based on the data, Texas State University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions about Texas State University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Texas State University.
Is Texas State University hard to get into?
Texas State University has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 89.3%.
What is the acceptance rate at Texas State University?
Texas State University has an acceptance rate of 89.3%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Texas State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Texas State University scored between 980 and 1200 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 Texas State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Texas State University scored between 19 and 25 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Texas State University cost?
The average net price after aid at Texas State University is $16,805 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Texas State University worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $56,906 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $16,805 per year. That's roughly 3.4x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Texas State University known for?
Texas State University is best known for its programs in Psychology, Kinesiology, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Texas State University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Texas State University are $56,906, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Texas State University accredited?
Yes. Texas State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Texas State University?
Texas State University enrolls 36,177 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Texas State University?
Texas State University graduates 60% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Texas State University a public or private college?
Texas State University is a Public institution.
Where is Texas State University located?
Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas.
What programs does Texas State University offer?
Texas State University offers 156 distinct programs. The most popular include Psychology, Kinesiology, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Texas State University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Texas State University is 21:1, 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
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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
Rankings That Feature Texas State University
Texas State University appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
Best Computer Science Colleges in Texas
The top Computer Science colleges in Texas, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
80 UCD Score
45 Colleges
$1,751 Lowest Net
$78,354 Top Earn
Best Psychology Colleges in Texas
The top Psychology colleges in Texas, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
91 UCD Score
89 Colleges
$1,300 Lowest Net
$89,718 Top Earn
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