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Houston Christian University: HBU front gate
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Regional university

Houston Christian University

Houston, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $20,629 a year

Median debt at graduation: $22,642 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.49%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,084 · ACT 20.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$5,467

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$17,933
$30,001–$48,000$18,998
$48,001–$75,000$19,803
$75,001–$110,000$24,079
Over $110,000$28,640

Full cost of attendance before aid: $50,082 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
2,787
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 41% · Women 59%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
36%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
5%
Total students4,189
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$20,629
Cost of attendance (per year)$50,082
Median federal debt at graduation$22,642
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
49%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
44%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
42%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
55%
First-year retention69%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$55,933
Admission rate84%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,323 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants56%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 990–1190ACT 17–24
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1084
SAT reading & writing500–600
SAT math490–590
ACT composite17–24
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good · Top 46% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$93,475
Marketing$68,490
General studies$54,696
Business administration$53,464
Psychology$53,021
Kinesiology and exercise science$45,718

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Allied health, Behavioral Sciences, Bible/Biblical Studies, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Communication studies, Computer science, Computing and information science, Criminal justice, Design, Electrical engineering, Engineering (general), English, Family and human development, Film and video, Finance, Fine arts, Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Health sciences, History, International business, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Music, Philosophy, Political science, Pre-law and legal studies, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Special education, Teacher education, Theology, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business18%
Health professions12%
Psychology12%
Interdisciplinary studies11%
Biology11%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates23%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older14%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,928
SportsNCAA Division I · Southland Conference
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member18 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 7%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time35%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$42,427IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 37% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceWilliam P. Hobby Airport (HOU)About 15 miles away · about 35 minutes by car
Town population2,328,253Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreHoustonAbout 10 miles away · about 25 minutes by car
Typical weather55°F in January · 85°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Houston Sugarland Mem, TX, about 10 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.230.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.700.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Houston Christian University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Houston Christian University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $20,629 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Houston Christian University?
Houston Christian University admitted 84% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Houston Christian University’s graduates do?
49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $55,933; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,642.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 225399
  • Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Baptist
  • Report an error or a newer source
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