This article is my attempt to translate for you, as honestly as possible, what official United States government data say about Stephen F Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. It will not tell you whether it is the right university for your child. That depends on three things only you and your family can bring together: what the university actually is, what your child wants and has built, and what you can afford. Here we examine the first piece in depth, without embellishment and without fear.
Who Stephen F Austin State University is
Let’s start with the basics: what kind of school it is. Stephen F Austin State University is a public university offering programs of four years or more, and the federal system classifies it at its highest reported level as an institution offering programs through the doctoral level. That is an institutional fact; it does not mean the field your child is interested in reaches that level or that there is a continuous path there from a bachelor’s degree to graduate study. If the connection between undergraduate and graduate study in that field matters to your plan, ask about it directly.
The Carnegie Classification—the system that organizes the country’s universities by what they do—describes it as a large, four-year, primarily residential master’s university with large programs: during the period Carnegie used for this designation, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-operated housing, and at least half studied full time. In other words, it is a school designed for students to live there, not merely attend classes and leave.
One interesting fact for anyone considering transferring in: Carnegie places it among institutions that receive many transfer students. That does not say how many credits they bring in or how many are lost along the way. If your child plans to transfer here after studying elsewhere, get in writing which courses will count and which will not before assuming anything.
Three labels that families sometimes look for do not appear here: Stephen F Austin is not a historically Black university, a tribal university, or a land-grant institution. Lacking these three designations does not tell you which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask about that directly by speaking with people who already study on campus.
Where it is and why that matters before anything else
Nacogdoches is in the county of the same name, in a remote town setting far from any large urban area. That is neither criticism nor praise: it is a coordinate that changes a student’s daily life.
If your family does not live nearby, this fact alone does not tell you how long the trip takes or how isolated your child might feel. But it does tell you something worth planning for early: you should assume, almost certainly, that your child will move. Calculate separately where your child would live and how they would get to campus, because those are a cost and a logistical consideration not included in tuition.
A large, predominantly local community with a clear Latino presence
Stephen F Austin enrolled 10,888 students in the most recent official fall count: 9,575 undergraduates and 1,313 graduate students. Above all, it is a bachelor’s-degree institution. The government places it in the band of 10,000 to 19,999 students, which is large, although it falls near the middle of the group when compared with similar universities: neither among the largest nor among the smallest.
That total size tells you nothing about class size. They are different things. If that matters to you—and it matters greatly to many families—ask for the number of students per class during the first year and in the specific field your child is considering.
Among undergraduates, 23 out of every 100 students were reported as Hispanic or Latino. That is not a majority, but it is far from unusual: compared with more than 500 similar public universities across the country, it ranks in the highest quarter for Hispanic or Latino representation. There are more women than men—62 out of every 100—and adult students ages 25 to 64 are a clear minority: 11 out of every 100. And here is something worth knowing if your child is considering staying close to home or moving far away: 98 out of every 100 incoming students reported a permanent address in Texas when they applied. In terms of where students come from, it is a predominantly in-state school.
How the academic year works and what to do with what your child has already learned
The academic calendar is based on semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each, with consistent dates for everyone.
The university reported that it accepts credit from AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, a portfolio, prior licenses, or military or professional opportunities—and credit for military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is the part that really matters: the school’s statement that it accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam. We do not know what scores it requires or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific degree program. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for savings in time or money until you have it in hand.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 2,107 bachelor’s degrees across 24 families of academic programs. None accounts for most of the total: the largest, business and management, represented only 20 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with similar schools, it is in the quarter with the broadest offerings. This does not mean there are exactly 24 majors or that all of them have active enrollment today—some program families may have reported no degrees that year—but it does describe an academic portfolio spread across many areas rather than concentrated in two or three.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 15 to 1, a middle-of-the-range figure compared with similar schools: neither among the lowest nor among the highest. This number alone does not determine the size of your child’s classes; it only shows how the institution-wide calculation works.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, noncredit developmental education, and preparation and certification pathways for those who want to become teachers, including state approval for initial teacher certification.
Getting in: what it requires, how likely admission is, and how likely your child is to say yes
Families often combine three different questions here: how selective it is, how easy it is to get in, and how likely admitted students are to enroll. These are three separate things.
What it requires. Stephen F Austin does not have open admission: it reviews application components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked three as required: the high school record, your child’s rank in the graduating class, and an English proficiency exam for those to whom it applies. High school GPA and completion of the college-preparatory curriculum required by the university are considered, although they are not mandatory. The application fee is $45.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English proficiency exam applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption. This is one of those issues people discover late, when there is no longer enough time to resolve it comfortably.
How likely admission is. In the most recently reported cycle, the university received 12,591 first-year applications and offered admission to 11,112 applicants. That is 88 out of every 100. It is a high admission rate, ranking slightly above the midpoint among similar universities. Even so, 1,479 applicants did not receive an offer. A high likelihood of admission does not make what comes next easy: that percentage says nothing about cost, how many students finish their degrees, or whether the specific program your child is interested in has an additional screening process.
Regarding tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If submitted, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds in the same way. Among the students who enrolled, half submitted SAT scores, with the middle half scoring between 500 and 590 in reading and writing and between 480 and 570 in mathematics. That range describes students who were already admitted and submitted scores, not all applicants. It is neither a minimum nor a guarantee.
How likely admitted students are to enroll. Here is the number that surprises families most: out of every 100 admitted students, only 19 ultimately enrolled in the most recent fall term. This is a typical figure among similar universities, neither high nor low. Do not read it as a mark against the school: most admitted students simply chose something else, and the federal record does not say why. What I can tell you is this: what others decided does not tell you what the university will offer your child. Wait for your child’s letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
Transfers: many leave, and many arrive
Among the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 29 out of every 100 transferred to another institution without completing the degree here. That proportion is on the high side compared with similar schools: seven out of ten comparable universities saw an equal or smaller share leave.
At the same time, the transfer pathway into the university is also active: 681 students arrived at Stephen F Austin in the most recent count after previously studying at another institution.
There is a rule in these calculations that almost no family knows and that carries considerable weight here: a student who transfers is not counted as a graduate of this school, even if the student finishes the degree elsewhere. Keep this in mind when comparing graduation rates across universities, because they do not always measure what you think they measure.
The price: two numbers and a gap you cannot ignore
At Stephen F Austin State University, among 360 first-time, full-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 $11,426. Among 196 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $14,068; among 261 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,940. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (360 students) and the average for the highest-income band (261 students) is $10,514. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $15,498.
$11,426 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in 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 first-time, full-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 receiving grants or scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-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.
The aid that reaches students and the debt you need to face directly
Seventy 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—with an average of $8,676 per year among recipients. Forty-one out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid directed toward low-income families.
Be careful about a common misunderstanding: the percentage of students who receive aid and the average amount they receive should not be multiplied together. They are two calculations with different denominators.
As for loans: 43 out of every 100 undergraduate students took out a federal student loan in the most recently reported school year, averaging $6,547 per student that year. That is a typical proportion among similar schools, neither among the highest nor among the lowest. That average covers only one year and only federal loans in the student’s name; it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or total debt accumulated by graduation. This percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow can be determined only from your child’s own financial aid letter. Wait for it before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
The university also reports formal payment options: a guaranteed tuition plan, a prepaid tuition plan, installment payments, and participation in a Promise-type program. It is worth asking about each one by its specific name.
Campus life: housing, ROTC, sports, and what you need to confirm specifically
Stephen F Austin has institution-controlled housing with a reported capacity of 3,911 students. No first-time, full-time student is generally required to live there, although that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program might require it. The university also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available: request the annual rate, application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list in writing.
There is an ROTC opportunity, and the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. The Navy and Air Force are not marked in the report. Not confirmed does not mean impossible; it means you need to ask directly.
In sports, the university competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not say which division each sport competes in or whether a scholarship is available for your child. If sports are part of the plan, write directly to the coach and request a response in writing.
The university offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the most recent count, 15 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load online, and 85 took at least one in-person class. It also reported offering at least one complete distance education program, although the report does not specify the level; if this matters to your child’s plan, confirm the exact degree program.
The library has employed staff and physical and digital materials, and it participates in interlibrary lending. The university also reports academic and career counseling services, job-placement support, a point of contact for veterans and members of the military, a student veterans’ organization, and a webpage dedicated to services for people with disabilities. The fact that these services are reported does not tell you how accessible or effective they are in practice: ask directly by speaking with the appropriate office.
Persistence and graduation: the numbers that truly define the risk
Here we reach the hardest part, and I am going to tell you plainly, without softening it.
Of the cohort that entered full time in fall 2022 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 71 out of every 100 were still enrolled there or had already graduated one year later. Compared with similar universities, this figure ranks in the lower portion: seven out of ten comparable schools retained a greater share of their first cohort. This number does not distinguish between those still studying and those who had already graduated, nor does it explain what happened to everyone else.
Of the cohort that entered in 2017, 52 out of every 100 had earned a degree from this university six years later. At the four-year mark, the figure falls to 38 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, both results rank below the group’s midpoint. Put bluntly, it is almost half and half: half of that cohort graduated from there within six years, and the other half did not. The report counts outcomes, not the reasons behind each individual story. And remember what we saw earlier about transfers: a student who left to finish a degree at another school is not counted here as a graduate, even if that student did graduate.
Over a longer window—eight years, following a cohort that entered in 2015-16 and including transfer and part-time students—57 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 52 out of every 100, eight points below the figure for those who did not receive one. Both results rank below the midpoint among similar universities.
None of these figures predicts what will happen to your child. They are institutional averages for entire cohorts, each with its own stories, support systems, and decisions. What they do give you is a specific question you can take directly to the university: what support exists to help a student finish on time, and what is available specifically for students receiving Pell Grants—an assigned advisor, emergency aid, annual renewal of an internal scholarship. Ask for the answer in writing.
What remains yours
You now understand, in considerable depth, one of the plan’s three pieces: what Stephen F Austin State University actually is and offers, according to federal government records. That is no small thing. You know its list price and net price by income band, how likely admission is and how likely admitted students are to enroll, how retention and graduation rates behave, and which questions you still need to ask.
The other two pieces remain, and no federal report contains them: what your child wants to study and has built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. When you bring all three together, you will have not an isolated figure, but a plan.
Your child’s role is to choose a field of study, work hard, ask questions, and build a personal story. Your role is to understand the money, read the letter carefully, ask uncomfortable questions before signing anything, and provide support without carrying alone what is your child’s responsibility. It is not a journey taken alone, nor one that can be taken on someone else’s behalf.
Source note: the information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and public reports from the United States Department of Education, using data from different years identified throughout the text. Best College Aid does not represent Stephen F Austin State University or any government agency; this article organizes public information to help families understand it.