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Tarleton State University: Tarleton State University August 2017 07 (Dick Smith Library)
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $20,783 a year

Median debt at graduation: $19,606 (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.48%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.70%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,075 · ACT 21.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.20 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$5,674

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$15,574
$30,001–$48,000$16,980
$48,001–$75,000$20,396
$75,001–$110,000$23,466
Over $110,000$24,076

Full cost of attendance before aid: $24,100 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)
13,688
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 39% · Women 61%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
42%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
3%
Total students15,937
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$20,783
Cost of attendance (per year)$24,100
Median federal debt at graduation$19,606
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
48%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
47%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
47%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
55%
First-year retention70%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$53,040
Admission rate90%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$50
Students receiving Pell grants34%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 980–1160ACT 19–24
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1075
SAT reading & writing500–590
SAT math480–570
ACT composite19–24
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good · Top 44% (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
Computer science$102,423
Nursing$89,677
Industrial technology$87,678
Clinical laboratory science$81,042
Mechanical engineering technology$77,044
Computing and information science$76,980
Accounting$68,031
Business (general)$66,572
Business administration$63,969
Political science$59,542
Marketing$57,478
Music$56,671
Agricultural business$54,993
Human resources$54,613
Zoology/Animal Biology$54,030
Criminal justice$53,821
Interdisciplinary studies$53,503
Kinesiology and exercise science$52,999
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy$51,226
Communication studies$50,385
History$50,385
Social work$50,275
Biology$47,795
Psychology$47,699
English$45,834
Liberal arts$44,106
Fine arts$43,665
Animal Sciences$43,185

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agricultural Mechanization, Agricultural Public Services, Agriculture, Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs, Apparel and Textiles, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Civil engineering, Construction Engineering Technology/Technician, Electrical engineering, Engineering Physics, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Family and human development, Finance, Geography, Geology and earth science, Global studies, Information science, Information technology, International business, Managerial economics, Mathematics, Mechanical engineering, Natural resources and conservation, Nutrition Sciences, Paralegal studies, Physics, Plant Sciences, Pre-law and legal studies, Public administration, Public health, Romance languages, Sociology, Speech-language pathology, Statistics, Teacher education, Theatre, Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians, Visual and performing arts, Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management.

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
Business19%
Agriculture12%
Parks, recreation and fitness10%
Psychology9%
Health professions7%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates13%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older15%
On-campus room and board (per year)$10,920
SportsNCAA Division I · Western Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member20 to 1
Faculty who are full-time59%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$7,873IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 31% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceWaco Regional Airport (ACT)About 72 miles away
Nearest major airportDallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)About 83 miles away
Town population21,682Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreFort WorthAbout 64 miles away
Typical weather45°F in January · 84°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Stephenville, TX

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
Rape0.010.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.060.08
Motor vehicle theft0.070.15

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 Tarleton State 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 Tarleton State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $20,783 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 Tarleton State University?
Tarleton State University admitted 90% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Tarleton State University’s graduates do?
48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $53,040; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,606.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 228529
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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