🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1150–1375 · ACT 26–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students focused on Business, Management, & Marketing (the school's signature program)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1150, or ACT below 26, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • High upfront cost (~$53,450/yr net for families above $110K income) — verify the major's earnings track record before committing

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
11,026
10,000 - 19,999
In-state tuition
$61,740
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$61,740
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
42.6%
Moderately selective
SAT middle 50%
1150–1375
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
26–31
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$68,424
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$60,435
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,424
4-year completion
86%
Median debt (completers)
$21,500
Cost of attendance
$76,604
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
14%

💰 True ROI

4.7× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$146,640
$36,660/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$159,776
vs sticker $306,416
10-yr earnings total
$684,240
$68,424/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
2.1 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Texas Christian University, the average net price is $36,660/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$17,956/yr
Family income $30-48k
$16,980/yr
Family income $48-75k
$17,940/yr
Family income $75-110k
$34,990/yr
Family income $110k+
$53,450/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Texas Christian University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Texas Christian University →

Opens on Texas Christian University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Texas Christian University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Texas Christian University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
693 degrees · 42.7%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Communication, Journalism, & Related
323 degrees · 19.9%
Typical career outcomes
Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.
3. Health Professions
252 degrees · 15.5%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
4. Social Sciences
213 degrees · 13.1%
Typical career outcomes
Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
5. Psychology
141 degrees · 8.7%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Texas Christian University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Systems Analysis. Bachelor's Degree 63 $73,740 $121,734
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. Bachelor's Degree 11 $114,822
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 212 $78,453 $111,304
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 84 $71,984 $106,765
Real Estate. Bachelor's Degree 78 $68,246 $103,547
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 116 $72,031 $101,938
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 137 $68,497 $97,148
Engineering, General. Bachelor's Degree 41 $73,774 $93,753
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 180 $77,808 $89,690
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 111 $54,462 $89,466

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Texas Christian University

CS degrees (annual)
26
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Texas Christian University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Texas Christian University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Texas Christian University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Texas Christian University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($47,607 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($44,282 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($43,024 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($42,857 less)
Cedar Crest College
PA · Private nonprofit
$11,008/yr for $110k+ families ($42,442 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Texas A & M University-Kingsville
TX · Public
92% admit rate (vs 43% here)
The University of Texas at Tyler
TX · Public
92% admit rate (vs 43% here)
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
TX · Public
90% admit rate (vs 43% here)
Texas State University
TX · Public
90% admit rate (vs 43% here)
The University of Texas at San Antonio
TX · Public
88% admit rate (vs 43% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Texas Christian University into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →