Let’s take it one part at a time.
What kind of school it is
University of St Thomas is a private, four-year, nonprofit institution. The government classifies it among doctoral and professional universities and reports that a doctoral degree is the highest level it offers. That is an institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in extends to that level or connects to a graduate program. You confirm that by asking about the specific program, not by assuming it from the school’s general profile.
It also does not have any of the three special designations tracked by the government: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Those are three distinct answers with three distinct histories, and among the universities in this census—3,012 in all—138 have at least one of the three. The fact that University of St Thomas has none of them does not tell you which students it serves or how your child would feel there. Ask directly: which cultural centers exist today, which student organizations are active, and, better yet, talk with someone who already attends.
The location is specific: Houston, Texas, Harris County, within the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metropolitan area. The census code places it in a large city with a population of at least 250,000. That does not tell you how to get to campus or what housing is available nearby. If your child plans to live at home, do yourself a favor: drive the route yourself on a weekday at the time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
There is one classification you should understand clearly because it sounds more dramatic than it is: the government labels the school “primarily nonresidential.” That simply means that, according to data from a few years ago, either fewer than one in four undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing or fewer than half attended full time. We do not know which of the two conditions applied, and the label does not mean that there are no residence halls—in fact, there are, as you will see later. It is a historical classification, not a picture of today.
Another fact from the same classification is that the school receives a substantial number of transfer students. If your child plans to attend after studying at another institution, ask the school in writing, before enrollment, which courses will count and which will not. The label does not tell you how many credits people bring or how many they lose in the transition.
Who its students are
Here is a number worth pausing to read together: in fall 2023, University of St Thomas reported that 52 out of every 100 undergraduate students were Hispanic or Latino. That is half or more. And compared with the selective private schools in this census that report this information—941 in all—University of St Thomas is among those reporting the highest share: nine out of ten of those schools reported an equal or lower proportion.
If your child is worried about feeling like the only one in the classroom, the number here does not suggest that. But be careful of the trap that comes next: counting students is not the same as serving them. A high percentage of Latino students does not tell you whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, whether tutoring is designed for that community, or how many of those students complete their degrees. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific major your child is considering. The number raises a question; it does not answer it.
There are more women than men among undergraduates—women account for 57 out of every 100—and a meaningful part of the community is not “fresh out of high school”: among undergraduate students, 22 out of every 100 are between the ages of 25 and 64. And among first-time students, 96 out of every 100 reported a Texas address when applying. Those coming from out of state would be part of a fairly small minority.
As for size, total enrollment is 3,813, placing it in the medium-sized category. But that total combines undergraduate enrollment of 2,969 with graduate enrollment of 844. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that actually applies is 2,969, not the total. A large part of this school’s population consists of people who have already completed a degree and continued their education.
How the academic year is organized
The calendar is semester-based: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The school reports accepting credits from AP examinations and military training, but it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a hard truth: saying that the school accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam your child brings. We do not know what scores it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits actually count toward the chosen major. Ask for a written equivalency evaluation before enrollment. Do not calculate time or money savings until you have that document in hand.
What students study there
In the most recent year reported, University of St Thomas awarded 606 bachelor’s degrees across 19 fields of study. But the distribution is uneven: health professions accounted for 255 of those 606 degrees, or 42 out of every 100. Compared with other selective private schools in this census—942 in all—University of St Thomas ranks in the top quarter for the total number of degrees awarded annually.
Nineteen fields with reported activity do not mean nineteen distinct majors or nineteen fields with actual degree awards—a field groups multiple programs, and some may report zero. If your child has a specific major in mind, that is the name to look for, not the broader field.
As for the relationship between students and faculty, the reported ratio is 15 full-time-equivalent students for each full-time-equivalent faculty member. On the overall scale, that falls in the middle range, but compared specifically with similar selective private schools, it is in the highest quarter: three out of four of those schools report the same ratio or a lower one. Both readings are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of a class. IPEDS does not explain the method used to calculate it or report the size of first-year classes.
Academic opportunities it reports
University of St Thomas reports offering study abroad, undergraduate research as a cocurricular activity, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, and pathways to teacher certification, both through the institution itself and through an agreement with another institution. These are opportunities reported by the school; their existence on paper is the starting point for asking in writing how they work today, whom they serve, and what requirements apply.
What admission is like
Here is something important that corrects a common assumption: this is not an open-admission school. It does review application components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks four as required: the high school record, high school GPA, personal essay, and English proficiency examination for applicants to whom it applies. Letters of recommendation and a work sample—a portfolio or competency examination—are not required, but the school considers them if submitted.
Put simply, gathering documents is not enough here. The essay is required, so your child has to write one. Have your child start it in the summer, not during the week of the deadline. The first draft is never the one that gets submitted. The good news for your wallet is that the published undergraduate application fee is $0.
Now, as for how accessible admission is: in the 2023 cycle, University of St Thomas received 1,591 first-time applications and offered admission to 1,485 applicants. That is 93 out of every 100. Compared with the selective private schools in this census—942 in all—it falls on the more accessible side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, accepted an equal or lower percentage. Only 106 applicants did not receive an offer.
But being likely to get in does not make what comes next easy. That 93% applies to the entire school in a single cycle. It does not tell you how much attendance will cost, how many students complete their degrees, or whether the specific program your child wants has an additional screening process of its own. Ask those three questions separately.
Also interesting: among first-time students admitted in 2023, only 45 out of every 100 ultimately enrolled there. The other 55 received an offer but chose another school or did not enroll. Compared with similar schools, that 45% is on the high side—at most of those schools, a smaller proportion of admitted students enroll. This percentage does not measure quality or satisfaction; it only counts how many decided to enroll. When your child’s admission letters arrive, this number does not decide anything. Put the letters side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before the deposit deadline.
As for standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds in the same way. Among students enrolled in the most recent cohort, only 22 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score—a small sample consisting of 27 students. The middle half of that group scored between 545 and 680 in reading and writing and between 530 and 660 in mathematics. With such a small sample, this guide does not treat those numbers as a threshold that must be reached or as a guarantee if they are reached.
As for transfers, in fall 2023, undergraduate enrollment included 242 students entering University of St Thomas for the first time after studying at another institution. Compared with similar schools, that number places it in the upper half for incoming transfer volume. What we do not know is the transfer-out rate—how many students who enter seeking a bachelor’s degree later transfer elsewhere—because that figure was not reported. If your child arrives as a transfer student, ask the school directly how many credits it will accept.
What it costs and what students actually pay
At University of St Thomas, among first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $17,830; this population included 120 students. Among students in the same population whose EFC family income was from $48,001 to $75,000, the average was $16,635, and that group included 65 students. Among students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, the average was $26,466, and that group included 42 students. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 120 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 42 students, is $8,636. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $20,469.
$17,830 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
None of these figures is a price quote for your child. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, the in-state or in-district rate is used. The overall average for students receiving aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the financial aid letter you receive. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school’s website.
How students get help paying
Among degree-seeking students at University of St Thomas, 76 out of every 100 receive a grant or other aid that does not have to be repaid. Among recipients, the annual average is $21,021. Compared with similar schools, University of St Thomas falls in the quarter where grants and scholarships reach a smaller proportion of students. And 40 out of every 100 receive Pell Grants, the federal aid for low-income students.
$21,021 is real money, but it is not a price or a guarantee for your child. A high average among aid recipients does not mean your family’s offer will look similar. When the letter arrives, look for how much your family would still have to pay out of pocket. That is the number to compare across schools, not the size of the discount.
As for loans, among undergraduate students, 36 out of every 100 received a federal student loan in the most recent year reported. That is more than two out of ten but less than half. Among those who borrowed, the annual average was $7,250. Compared with similar schools, University of St Thomas is on the low side: seven out of ten of those schools had a higher proportion of students with debt.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. And that average covers a single year and only federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, bank debt, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt someone has at graduation. Determining that would require adding together every year, and that information is not available in this report.
The school also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan and participating in a Promise program, mechanisms worth asking about by name.
Campus life and support
University of St Thomas does have its own housing, with a reported capacity of 507 students on or off campus. No first-time, full-time student is required to live there—that rules out a universal requirement, but it does not tell you whether a particular program requires it. Meal plans are also available, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan you choose. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available: ask in writing for this year’s rate, the deadline to request space, and whether housing is guaranteed or applicants are placed on a waiting list.
There are Army and Air Force ROTC programs, but no Navy ROTC. Appearance in the report does not mean a student has been accepted or that the program is necessarily taught on this campus: ask about it by name.
The school competes in NCAA-affiliated intercollegiate athletics, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child plays, write directly to the coach for that sport: ask whether there is a place on the team, which division it competes in, and whether that sport awards scholarships.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the most recent count, among undergraduate students, 19 out of every 100 took their entire course load online, while 81 took at least one in-person class. The school also reports having at least one complete program available through distance education, although the data do not specify whether that program is undergraduate or graduate: confirm the exact level.
The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan, with annual spending above the threshold of $100,000 tracked by the government. That is only the floor: it does not guarantee the availability of specific databases for your child’s major. Ask about them by program name.
Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, a student job-placement service, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for military students and their families, a student veterans organization, and a published webpage for disability services.
How many stay and how many graduate
This is where it helps to read carefully, because the numbers tell different stories depending on how you look at them.
Among students who entered in fall 2022 as first-time, full-time bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 333 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later; the entering group included 454 students. That is 73 out of every 100. Compared with similar selective private schools—930 in all—University of St Thomas falls just below the midpoint of the group. This number does not separate students who are still enrolled from those who have already graduated, and it does not explain what happened to the rest: not returning is not the same as dropping out, because someone who transferred and is still studying elsewhere is counted the same as someone who left school.
As for graduation, among a cohort of full-time, first-time bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who started in 2017, 69 out of every 100 had graduated from this same school within six years; the cohort included 290 students. But within four years—the period most families budget for—the figure was only 48 out of every 100. The difference between the two time frames is 21 points. Compared with similar schools—920 in all—University of St Thomas is above the median for the six-year graduation rate.
| Time frame | Graduated here |
|---|---|
| Within 4 years | 48 out of every 100 |
| Within 6 years | 69 out of every 100 |
That gap of 21 points is a truth worth stating plainly: it measures how much the proportion graduating increases between the four-year and six-year cutoffs for the same cohort. We do not know how many semesters each person took or how much that extra time cost. Before making any commitment, ask in writing how long your child’s program typically takes, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the plan extends by another year. An additional semester is not a minor detail in a family budget.
There is an even longer view: following a cohort of 511 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, by the August 2023 cutoff—eight years later—61 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 65 out of every 100, six points above the figure for nonrecipients. Compared with similar schools—935 in all—this eight-year figure is below the midpoint of the group. This cutoff is a snapshot on a fixed date, not a measure of eight continuous years of study, and it does not report how much each person paid or how much income each person gave up along the way.
What this article cannot tell you
With the official information available, I have no way to tell you what happens after graduation in terms of employment or earnings: that information requires another source and is not authorized here. Nor can I tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in has its own admission screening process or how much it will actually cost your family until you have the financial aid letter in hand.
Putting the pieces together
You now know one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what University of St Thomas actually is, how it admits students, what it charges, how it helps students pay, and what happens to those who enroll there. That piece is solid, but it is only one.
You still need to combine it with what your child wants to study and the direction your child has already been moving in, as well as what your family can and is willing to pay. No figure in this article decides that for you. What this information can do is keep you from reaching an important decision without having seen the complete map. That, no more and no less, is already real progress.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by University of St Thomas to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as well as the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Best College Aid does not represent University of St Thomas or any agency of the United States government.