🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $16,590/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$9,173 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Health Professions (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 800, or ACT below 15 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

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
6,844
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$9,173
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$21,473
+$12,300 vs in-state
Admit rate
93.4%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
800–1000
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
15–19
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$38,924
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
$32,986
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,924
4-year completion
22%
Median debt (completers)
$29,000
Cost of attendance
$27,052
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
72%

💰 True ROI

5.9× 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)
$66,360
$16,590/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$41,848
vs sticker $108,208
10-yr earnings total
$389,240
$38,924/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.7 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 Southern University, the average net price is $16,590/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$16,437/yr
Family income $30-48k
$21,115/yr
Family income $48-75k
$21,280/yr
Family income $75-110k
$22,698/yr
Family income $110k+
$21,610/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 Southern University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Texas Southern University →

Opens on Texas Southern 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 Southern University

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
154 degrees · 32.2%
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. Health Professions
93 degrees · 19.4%
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.
3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
90 degrees · 18.8%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
4. Communication, Journalism, & Related
72 degrees · 15.0%
Typical career outcomes
Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.
5. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
70 degrees · 14.6%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.

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 Southern 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
Civil Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 16 $71,595
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 33 $53,873 $70,201
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. Bachelor's Degree 19 $57,511 $62,728
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 29 $36,961 $59,386
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. Bachelor's Degree 33 $32,409 $56,482
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 78 $31,779 $55,321
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 77 $40,304 $53,203
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. Bachelor's Degree 46 $51,195
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 35 $42,333 $49,871
Health and Medical Administrative Services. Bachelor's Degree 53 $34,332 $48,426

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Texas Southern University

CS degrees (annual)
25
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Texas Southern 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 Southern 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 Southern University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Alabama State University
AL · Public
3 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas State University
TX · Public
3 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Texas Southern University.
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($14,665 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($11,614 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($11,017 less)
Texas A & M International University
TX · Public
$10,697/yr for $110k+ families ($10,913 less)
East Central University
OK · Public
$10,702/yr for $110k+ families ($10,908 less)

Building a college list?

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

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