A public R1 research university in Houston, TX, admitting 73.92% of applicants with a 38.06% Hispanic enrollment, 41% first-generation students, and direct access to the world's largest medical complex and the US energy capital.
Houston, Texas
The University of Houston is a public R1 research university in Houston, Texas, founded in 1927 and the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. It enrolls approximately 38,380 undergraduates and 8,723 graduate students across sixteen colleges and schools, including the C.T. Bauer College of Business, the Cullen College of Engineering, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, the Law Center, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Hobby School of Public Affairs.
Business, engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and communications account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. The University of Houston is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The University of Houston is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. The University of Houston is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), with one of the most diverse student bodies of any R1 research university in the country.
Official website: uh.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), the University of Houston scores 83.10 overall, rated Strong. Outcomes (73.00) reflects a 64.56% six-year graduation rate and 86.72% first-year retention, both below the peer average. Value scores 87.12, driven by strong ten-year earnings of $62,377 relative to an average net price of $14,276. Affordability scores 74.38. All scores use verified federal data only.
The University of Houston admits 73.92% of applicants. The University of Houston is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. UH uses the ApplyTexas application. The priority deadline for fall admission and scholarship consideration is December 1; the final deadline is June 1.
Texas residents who graduate in the top 10% of their Texas high school class are eligible for automatic admission to the University of Houston under the Texas Top 10% Rule. Admission to specific colleges, including the Bauer College of Business and the Cullen College of Engineering, may involve competitive prerequisites after the first year.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Houston is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
The University of Houston charges $9,717 in in-state tuition and $22,547 in out-of-state tuition, plus $11,286 in room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $24,500 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $14,276. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $10,929.
For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $10,220. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $19,197. The endowment stands at approximately $1.2 billion. The federal loan rate of 31.68% and median debt of $18,194 are in the moderate range, reflecting the university's large share of first-generation and lower-income students who rely more heavily on loans.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $75 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
The University of Houston completes a majority of students it enrolls, though completion rates are below the average for peer R1 universities. The six-year graduation rate is 64.56% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students, below the peer average. First-year retention stands at 86.72%, also below the peer average.
The below-average completion metrics are partly structural: UH's access mission enrolls a very high share of first-generation (40.49%) and Pell-eligible (41.65%) students who face greater barriers to on-time completion, and a large share of students work while attending school, reflecting the Houston commuter-urban context. The federal loan rate of 31.68% and median debt of $18,194 are moderate given the income profile of the student body.
University of Houston graduates enter careers in energy, engineering, business, law, healthcare, and hospitality, primarily in the Houston metropolitan area. Median earnings are $52,768 six years after first enrolling and $62,377 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 81.62% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. Houston's economy is defined by the energy industry: ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes are headquartered in Houston or have major operations there.
The Texas Medical Center, immediately south of downtown Houston, is the world's largest medical complex, with 61 institutions, 106,000 employees, and more than $3 billion in annual research. The Bauer College of Business and the Cullen College of Engineering recruit directly into the energy and healthcare sectors that define Houston's economy. The Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership is one of the nation's leading hospitality schools and benefits from Houston's convention and hotel industry.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
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.
The University of Houston enrolls approximately 38,380 undergraduates on its main campus in Houston, Texas, approximately 3 miles south of downtown in the University District. Hispanic students account for 38.06% of undergraduates; Asian students 23.06%, Black students 12.25%, and White students 16.43%. The student body is one of the most ethnically diverse of any R1 research university in the United States: no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority.
Approximately 41.65% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 40.49% are first-generation college students, among the highest rates of any R1 in the country. The University of Houston is both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). Houston is the most ethnically diverse major city in the United States and the fourth-largest city by population; Cougars athletics compete in the Big 12 Conference.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Houston. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Houston offers an extensive catalog of programs: 178 distinct programs across 26 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 University of Houston operates at a student-to-faculty ratio consistent with large public research universities. 79.84% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $9,920 per year, below the peer average for an R1 flagship, reflecting the university's urban access-institution budget model. The endowment stands at approximately $1.2 billion.
The Law Center is one of the leading public law schools in Texas, producing graduates for Houston's large legal market. The Hobby School of Public Affairs is a nationally recognized policy research center. The Energy Research Park at UH supports petroleum engineering, geophysics, and energy systems research directly connected to the Houston industry cluster.
1,394 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 | 461 | 33% | $170,330 |
| Associate Professors | 338 | 24% | $112,860 |
| Assistant Professors | 248 | 18% | $104,873 |
| Lecturers | 79 | 6% | $59,842 |
| No Rank | 268 | 19% | $85,979 |
The University of Houston's defining strengths are its UCD 83.10 Strong score, test-optional admissions, exceptional diversity (no racial majority, 38% Hispanic, 23% Asian), moderate net price ($14,276 average), direct access to Houston's energy and medical center employment markets, and a Bauer College of Business with strong industry ties. UCD 83.10 Strong.
The considerations: the 64.56% six-year graduation rate and 86.72% first-year retention are among the lower rates in this peer group; instructional spending of $9,920 is below the R1 flagship average; and the commuter-campus dynamic means a less traditional residential college experience for many students. Best fit for Houston-area and Texas residents, particularly first-generation and lower-income students, who want an R1 research university at low in-state cost with direct access to Houston's energy, healthcare, and business economy.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about University of Houston: how the energy industry connection works, what the Texas Medical Center means for health careers, how UH compares to UT Austin and Texas A&M, and what the campus culture is like.
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