I am going to walk you through what the federal government reports about this university: what kind of institution it is, whom it serves, what it costs, who gets in, who stays, and who finishes. I am not going to tell you whether it is the right one for your child. That depends on three things that only you and your family can put together: what the university is, what your child wants and has accomplished, and what you can afford. This article gives you the first piece, fully and honestly.
What Kind of University This Is and Where It Stands
Carnegie—the system that organizes the country's universities according to what they do—classifies Sam Houston State University among doctoral institutions with high research activity. It is a public institution offering programs of four years or more, and the highest level it reports offering is the doctorate. IPEDS also describes it as an institution that primarily awards bachelor's degrees or higher-level credentials. None of these labels tells you whether the exact program your child wants is available here or whether it connects to a graduate program; that must be checked program by program.
One fact is worth emphasizing: in the Carnegie classification from 2021, its undergraduate profile places it among institutions that receive many transfer students. If your child is considering coming here after studying somewhere else—a community college or another university—this matters. Before your child transfers, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. The “high transfer-in” label does not tell you how many credits students arrive with or how many they lose along the way.
Carnegie also classifies this university as primarily nonresidential, based on data from 2019-20. That classification applies when fewer than one in four undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing or when fewer than half studied full time—the report does not say which of the two conditions was met. It does not mean there are no residence halls; it does mean that if your child will commute to and from campus, you should include bus fare, gasoline, and travel time in your calculations, not just tuition.
Where it is. The campus is in Huntsville, Texas, within Walker County. The surrounding setting is a town, away from large urban areas. This fact identifies the school's location, not your family's location or how long it would take you to get there. If you do not live nearby, calculate separately where your child would live and how your child would get around.
What it is not. Sam Houston State University is not listed in the federal record as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one has none. That does not tell you which communities it serves today or how your child would feel on that campus. You can investigate that by asking which cultural centers and student organizations exist right now and by speaking with someone who already studies there.
A Large Community and One Sign Many Families Look for First
Let us begin with the most prominent fact in this profile: 28 out of every 100 undergraduate students at Sam Houston State University were reported as Hispanic or Latino. That is one in four, or more. Compared with the 519 selective-admission, four-year public institutions in this census that report this information, it ranks in the top quarter: three out of four institutions in that group reported an equal or lower proportion. Being Latino on this campus would not be the exception.
And here is the hard truth I cannot skip: a high percentage of Latino students is not the same thing as support for Latino students. This figure counts how many there are, not whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, whether targeted tutoring is available, or whether those students complete their degrees. And it is the percentage for the entire institution, not for the specific program that interests your child. Counting students is not the same as serving them. If this matters to you—and it matters greatly to many families—the figure is a good starting point, not the final answer.
The rest of the demographic picture looks like this: students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, accounting for 14 out of every 100, so if your child is considering returning to school as an adult, that would not be the typical profile here. There are more women than men among undergraduates: 63 out of every 100. And among every 100 first-time students, 99 reported a permanent address in Texas. If you live out of state, your child would be part of a very small group within this community.
The size. In the official fall count, Sam Houston State University reported 21,403 enrolled students, the highest size category the government uses. Of that total, 18,179 are undergraduates and 3,224 are graduate students: it is primarily an undergraduate institution, not a graduate institution. Compared with its 519 census peers, it is on the larger side—between one and three out of every ten have more students.
Being large does not mean that its classes are large. That is a leap this figure does not support by itself. If classroom size matters to you—and it matters greatly to many families, especially during the first year—ask for the actual number of students per class in your child's program.
How the Academic Year Works and How Broad the Academic Offerings Are
The calendar is organized into semesters: two periods of about 15 weeks each. It is a standard rhythm, with consistent dates for all students.
The university reported that it accepts credit from AP examinations and what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, work experience, prior licenses or certifications, and other pathways—as well as credit for military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is the warning that truly matters: reporting that the university accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every examination or every score. The report does not say what scores are required or whether those credits will count toward your child's exact degree program. Ask for a written equivalency evaluation before enrolling. Do not budget for savings in time or money until you have that document in hand.
The degree offerings. In a single year, this university awarded 4,154 bachelor's degrees across 24 distinct academic families—the CIP system the government uses to group programs. The family awarding the most degrees was homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, and related protective services, with 22 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—no other field exceeded it, but it did not account for the majority either. Compared with 514 census peers, the university ranks in the quarter with the most academic families represented among its bachelor's-degree offerings.
Its offerings are broad, not concentrated in two or three fields. But 24 families appearing in the report do not mean 24 guaranteed majors or 24 fields with strong degree output: a CIP family groups multiple programs, and a row may report zero degrees for that year. Verify the exact program that interests your child, not just the general field.
The student-to-faculty ratio. It is 20 to 1: twenty full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. Compared with its 519 peers, it is in the top quarter, meaning it has one of the higher ratios in the group. But be careful: this figure is not a classroom size. It is an institution-wide aggregate ratio. If first-year class size matters to you, ask for it directly; IPEDS does not report it here.
The Paths It Offers Beyond the Classroom
The institution reports several structured academic opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research outside the regular classroom, a complete program that can be taken exclusively in the evenings or on weekends, noncredit remedial education, and several pathways related to teacher certification, including state approval of the program for initial certification.
The fact that these options are reported confirms that they exist as institutional mechanisms. It does not tell you the size of each program, how many students participate, or whether it fits what your child wants to study. It is a list of doors, not a map showing how much they are used.
Getting In: What They Ask For and How Likely a Yes Is
Let us begin with the simplest fact: Sam Houston State University does not have an open-admission policy. It reviews several components before saying yes. Of the nine considerations covered by this report, it marked three as required: the high school transcript, the high school GPA, and an English-proficiency examination for applicants to whom it applies.
That last requirement deserves its own line because it is one of the things families discover too late: if your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English-proficiency examination applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption.
Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, completion of the college-preparatory program recommended by the university, the personal essay, and work experience. The report does not say how much weight each component carries in the final decision.
The undergraduate application fee is $50.
How likely is a yes? During the 2023 cycle, 17,582 first-time students applied and 15,014 received offers of admission. That is 85 out of every 100. Compared with its 519 census peers, this is a common rate, a little above the middle of the group. It is among the universities that do admit applicants. Even so, 2,568 applicants did not receive offers—the application must be complete and submitted on time.
Being likely to get in does not make what follows easy. That percentage covers the entire institution and only one cycle. It does not tell you how much attendance will cost, how many students finish, or whether the specific program your child wants has its own more demanding admission filter. Those three questions must be asked separately.
The students who actually enroll. Out of every 100 admitted first-time students, only 24 enrolled at Sam Houston State University that fall. The other 76 had an offer in hand and did not accept it. This is a common rate among its peers—neither above nor below the midpoint. And do not read it as a stain on the university: the fact that most admitted students did not enroll says nothing bad about the institution. The record does not explain why each person made that decision. What does matter is this: wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year will actually cost your family—before deciding whether this university stays on your child's list.
Standardized tests. The SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application remains valid. Among enrolled first-time students, 48 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—one of the highest proportions among 406 similar universities in the census. Among those who submitted scores, the middle half scored between 480 and 580 in reading and writing and between 460 and 560 in mathematics. Those ranges describe students who had already enrolled and submitted their scores, not all applicants. That 480 is not a minimum for admission, and that 580 does not guarantee anything either.
Transfers. From a cohort of first-time, full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017, 652 transferred without completing here and enrolled at another institution within the expected period. That is 23 out of every 100—a common figure among its peers. At the same time, the number of incoming transfer students is much larger: in the fall of 2023, 1,845 undergraduate students entered this university for the first time after studying at another institution.
Changing schools is not the same as failing. But if your child enrolls while considering the possibility of transferring later—either to this university or from it—it helps to know beforehand how to request records and which courses will be accepted. The number of transfer students does not tell you how many credits are accepted; ask for that in writing, with the course list in hand.
What It Costs: Two Prices and the Gap Between Them
At Sam Houston State University, among 680 full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $11,736. Among 396 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,419; among 434 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $23,198. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (680 students) and the average for the highest-income band (434 students) is $11,462. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $14,556.
$11,736 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band during the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial-aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How Students Pay: Grants, Loans, and Other Options
At Sam Houston State University, 70 out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students received some form of aid that does not have to be repaid—a grant or scholarship from the federal government, the state, or the institution. The average amount of that aid, counting only those who received it, was $8,139 per year. And 40 out of every 100 received Pell Grants, the federal aid for low-income families.
Here is a clarification that prevents costly confusion: the percentage and the average should not be multiplied together. One tells you how many students received aid; the other tells you how much those who qualified received. When your letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: money that does not have to be repaid, money that must be repaid with interest, and money that must be earned through work. Many letters combine them in a single column, and that is where families become confused.
Loans. 46 out of every 100 undergraduate students—from the entire undergraduate enrollment, not just first-time students—received a federal student loan during the reported academic year. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,819. Compared with its 519 peers, this proportion of students with loans is on the high side: seven out of ten peers or more had an equal or lower proportion.
Financing with debt is common here. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years, the total would be around $27,276, before interest—and that calculation should be made before the first signature, not at the end. But remember: that average covers one year and only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include what parents borrow through Parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduating—that is not included in this report, and this percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow comes from your child's own letter.
Other payment options. The institution reports a guaranteed-tuition plan, an installment-payment plan, and participation in a Promise program. It is worth asking about all three before preparing the family budget.
The Campus: Where to Live, What Activities Are Available, and What Support Exists
Housing and food. Institution-controlled housing is available, with a reported maximum capacity of 4,112 students. Living there is not required for all full-time, first-time students. Meal plans are also available, and the largest plan has a fixed number of meals per week. The availability of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available; ask in writing for this year's rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or your child would be placed on a waiting list.
ROTC. The only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. Neither the Navy nor the Air Force is marked. Not confirmed does not mean impossible—it means you should ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
Athletics. The university competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. The report confirms NCAA or NAIA membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field, but it does not identify all current teams, the division for each sport, or whether scholarships are offered. If this matters to your child, contact the coach of the relevant sport directly.
Distance education. It is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the fall count, 18 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load online; the other 82 took at least one class in person. The university also reports offering at least one complete program that can be completed entirely through distance education—but the data do not confirm the exact level or program. Confirm that directly if online study is part of your plan.
Library. It operates with employed staff and reported annual expenditures above the government-recorded threshold of $100,000. It has physical and digital materials and offers interlibrary loan. The data do not state its exact hours or how long it takes for a requested book to arrive from another institution—that must be asked directly.
Reported support services. The institution reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a webpage for disability services. The fact that these services are reported confirms that they exist as institutional mechanisms; it does not measure their quality or effectiveness. Those are assessed by asking and experiencing, not by reading a table.
Who Stays and Who Finishes: The Persistence Numbers
Here we reach the part that carries the most weight in any family decision: if your child enrolls, how likely is your child to stay and finish?
Retention. From a cohort of 3,221 full-time students who entered in the fall of 2022, 2,430 met the official retention criterion one year later—75 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed a bachelor's degree. This is a little below the midpoint among its 519 census peers. Among those who entered part time that same fall—a much smaller group of 172 people—the retention rate was 65 out of every 100. These are two different cohorts; do not combine them or assume that one mode of study caused the other cohort's outcome.
Graduation. IPEDS tracked 2,780 first-time, full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students who began in 2017. After six years, 1,531 had graduated from this institution: 55 out of every 100. After four years—the period most families have in their budgets—the figure falls to 35 out of every 100, twenty percentage points lower. The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or wages. Before signing anything, ask in writing how long students typically take to complete the program that interests your child and how its required courses are scheduled.
From that same cohort of 2,780: 652 transferred without completing here and continued at another institution; 78 remained enrolled without completing within the period; and 519 fell into the federal “no longer enrolled” category—a category that does not explain the reason and may include people who finished after the reference period. Compared with its 518 census peers, at least half of the group reported the same or a lower six-year graduation rate.
After eight years. A broader cohort—6,134 undergraduate students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including both first-time students and those with prior postsecondary experience—reached August 2023 with 62 out of every 100 having graduated from this institution. Among Pell recipients, the figure was 60 out of every 100—three percentage points below the group without Pell. According to the federal indicator, 23 out of every 100 still had not earned a credential from this institution, although that figure has a definitional inconsistency that prevents a precise statement about how many remained enrolled at the cutoff date. And 15 out of every 100—927 people—had an unknown enrollment status, which does not mean they had dropped out, only that the report could not determine their status.
Compared with its 519 peers, this eight-year rate is also equal to or above the midpoint of the group.
None of these figures tells you what will happen to your child in particular. They are institutional averages for entire cohorts. What you can do with them is ask, with this information in hand, what specific support exists to help a student finish in four years rather than six.
Putting the Pieces Together
You now know, through real numbers and without embellishment, one of the pieces you need to decide: what kind of university this is, whom it serves, what its two prices are, how students pay, who gets in, who stays, and who finishes. It is a large, public university with an accessible admission rate, a Latino community that is around one in four students, a list price that falls considerably when actual aid is included, and graduation outcomes that improve clearly between year four and year six.
None of this replaces what your child wants to study, what your child has already accomplished in high school, or what your family can and is willing to pay. Those two pieces are yours to determine. The university's role is to make an admission decision, offer aid, and eventually say yes or no.
If this university remains on your child's list, the natural next step is simple: request the net-price letter, verify credit equivalencies if applicable, and ask directly about the exact program that interests your child. With that information, together with what you already know about your own budget and your child's plans, you will be able to make an informed decision, not one based on fear.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system and corresponds to different years and cohorts as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Sam Houston State University or any government agency; this article is an independent informational resource intended to help families understand public data.