National university
#16 Best colleges in TexasUniversity of Houston
Houston, TX · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $14,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $18,194 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Cougar PreviewOctober 24, 2026 · On campusCougar Preview is our grand on-campus experience for students to get to know their future home!More about Cougar PreviewAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Campus tour
The College Tour: University of Houston (Full Episode) · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#144 of 950
- Best colleges for nursing in America#179 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#192 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#155 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#297 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#250 of 1,238
Show 8 more
- Best colleges for finance in America#160 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#315 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#414 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#297 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#315 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#363 of 1,481
- Best colleges for history in America#311 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#297 of 1,187
In Texas
- Best colleges for nursing in Texas#7 of 52
- Best colleges for accounting in Texas#9 of 61
- Best colleges for marketing in Texas#8 of 54
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Texas#10 of 64
- Best colleges for finance in Texas#9 of 57
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Texas#10 of 63
Show 15 more
- Best colleges for English in Texas#11 of 67
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Texas#12 of 68
- Best colleges for music in Texas#10 of 56
- Best colleges for history in Texas#12 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in Texas#12 of 67
- Best colleges for psychology in Texas#13 of 71
- Best test-optional colleges in Texas#12 of 65
- Best colleges in Texas#16 of 85
- Best colleges for business in Texas#15 of 79
- Best colleges for chemistry in Texas#12 of 63
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Texas#12 of 62
- Best colleges for engineering in Texas#9 of 46
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Texas#18 of 85
- Best colleges for art and design in Texas#12 of 54
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Texas#7 of 26
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.65%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,250 · ACT 26
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.22 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,920
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 paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $26,185 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 37,946 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 48% · Women 52% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 40% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 3% |
| Total students | 46,676 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $14,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $26,185 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,194 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 65% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 62% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 60% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 62% |
| First-year retention | 87% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $62,377 |
| Admission rate | 74% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $75 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,323 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 42% |
| Average SAT | 1250 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 590–670 |
| SAT math | 570–670 |
| ACT composite | 23–29 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Exceptional · Top 7% (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Petroleum Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Management information systems | |
| Nursing | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Electrical engineering technology | |
| Physics | |
| Mechanical engineering technology | |
| Accounting | |
| Computer Systems Analysis | |
| Biotechnology | |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | |
| Economics | |
| Finance | |
| Business administration | |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | |
| Architecture | |
| Human resources | |
| Chemistry | |
| Marketing | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Design | |
| Business/Corporate Communications | |
| Mathematics | |
| Political science | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Public relations | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Biology | |
| Music | |
| Romance languages | |
| Philosophy | |
| History | |
| Family and human development | |
| Health sciences | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Journalism | |
| Psychology | |
| Software and media applications | |
| English | |
| Foods, Nutrition, | |
| Communication studies | |
| Sociology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Theatre | |
| Anthropology | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Writing and rhetoric |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): American Sign Language, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Dance, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Design, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Information science, Interior Architecture, Linguistics, Management science, Natural resources and conservation, Religious studies.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Psychology | |
| Engineering | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 23% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 12% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,286 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Twelve Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 22 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 3%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 80%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $31,256IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 22% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)About 7 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 2,328,253Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | HoustonAbout 5 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 54°F in January · 85°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Houston-Port, TX, about 4 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is University of Houston’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 23% of rated colleges. 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 University of Houston cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $14,000 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 University of Houston?
- University of Houston admitted 74% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of Houston’s graduates do?
- 65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $62,377; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,194.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 225511
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very 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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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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