I am not going to tell you whether this university is “good” or “bad” for your child. No number can tell you that. I am going to explain what it is, what it offers, what it costs, and what questions you still need to ask.
Who This University Is and Where It Is Located
The University of Texas at Tyler is in Tyler, Texas, within Smith County, in the city’s metropolitan area. That tells you where it is, not how to get there. If your child is considering living at home while attending, do yourself a favor: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time your child would have class. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
It is a four-year public institution. Carnegie, the federal system that classifies universities by what they do, places it among doctoral universities with high research activity and also describes it as a medium-sized, primarily residential school. That same system identifies it as a place where many transfer students enroll. None of these labels tells you how much research your child will see during the first year or how many credits will transfer if your child comes here from another school. If that is the plan, ask in writing, before enrolling, which courses will count and which will not.
Something worth clarifying up front: this university is not recorded as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. These are three separate designations with different histories, and only 138 of the 3,012 universities in this directory have at least one of the three. Having none of them does not tell you which students the university serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers currently exist and which student organizations are available—and, better yet, talk with someone who already attends.
The Actual Size of the Student Community
In the most recent official count, The University of Texas at Tyler had an enrollment of 9,678. It is neither a tiny school nor a huge one: it falls squarely in the middle band, between 5,000 and 9,999, and ranks near the middle when compared with similar public schools of the same size.
But that large number is a little misleading. It is divided between 7,287 undergraduate students and 2,391 graduate students. If your child is starting a first degree, the relevant number is 7,287, not the total. The total includes many people who have already completed a bachelor’s degree and are pursuing a master’s degree or doctorate.
Here is a figure worth emphasizing: 27 out of every 100 undergraduate students were reported as Hispanic or Latino. That is one in four or more, placing this university in the highest quartile among the selective public schools in this census. Put plainly, being Latino on this campus would not be the exception. But a high percentage of Latino students is not the same thing as support for Latino students. This figure counts how many there are. It does not say whether a Spanish-speaking counselor or targeted tutoring is available or whether those students complete their degrees. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific program that interests your child.
There are also more women than men among undergraduates (60 out of every 100), and 97 out of every 100 entering students reported an address in the same state. Above all, it is a Texas school.
How the Academic Year Works and What Prior Credit It Recognizes
The calendar here is semester-based: two long terms of about 15 weeks each, with consistent dates for everyone.
The university stated that it recognizes two forms of prior credit: AP exams and what IPEDS calls credit for life experience, which may include independent study, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses or certifications, and even military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal program.
Here is the hard truth that a brochure will not tell you: stating that AP is accepted does not mean the university awards credit for every exam. It does not say what score is required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits will count toward your child’s specific degree program. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for degree offerings: between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 1,827 bachelor’s degrees across 20 fields of study. By far the largest field was health professions, with 611 degrees: 33 out of every 100 awarded during the entire year. That is a strong concentration. It does not tell you whether the exact program that interests your child is strong or weak there; verify that by the program’s name.
The ratio of students to instructional faculty is 17 to 1, a middle-range figure compared with similar schools: neither among the tightest nor among the loosest ratios. By itself, this number does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class. Ask that directly as well.
Academic opportunities the university reports offering: study abroad, undergraduate research, a full evening or weekend program, credit-bearing developmental education, and teacher-certification pathways, including state approval for initial certification.
Getting In: What It Requires and How Likely Admission Is
Let us start with the most reassuring part and then move to what needs close attention.
The University of Texas at Tyler does not have open admission: it reviews specific application components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked five as required: the high school transcript, grade point average, your child’s class rank, completion of the university’s required college-preparatory curriculum, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. In contrast, it stated that it does not consider the personal essay, letters of recommendation, portfolios, work experience, or whether a relative attended, even if they are submitted.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English exam applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption. This is one of those things families discover late, when there is no longer time to resolve it calmly.
Now for the numbers that truly matter when estimating the likelihood of admission: in the 2023 cycle, 5,521 students applied for first-year admission and 5,054 received an offer of admission. That is 92 out of every 100. This is a university that admits applicants, and it ranks on the high side compared with similar selective public schools. Even so, 467 applicants did not receive an offer that year, so submitting a complete application on time still matters.
But here is the part almost no one looks at: out of every 100 students admitted, only 26 actually enrolled. The other 74 had an acceptance letter in hand and decided to go elsewhere. Receiving a yes is not the same thing as deciding to attend. That percentage does not measure quality or whether people were satisfied; it counts decisions only. When your child’s letters arrive, place them side by side and compare net price, program, and distance before the deposit deadline. Those are what actually drive the decision, not the school’s acceptance rate.
Regarding standardized tests: neither the SAT nor the ACT is required here. Among the students who enrolled, 40 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and the middle half of those students scored between 510 and 620 in reading and writing and between 500 and 600 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who had already enrolled and chose to submit their scores, not all applicants. That 510 is not a minimum, and that 620 is not a guarantee of anything either.
As for transfers: in fall 2023, 970 undergraduate students enrolled for the first time after previously attending another institution. That is a substantial count, ranking in the upper half compared with similar schools. What is not reported here is the transfer-out rate—how many students who enter this university later transfer elsewhere. The absence of that figure does not prove that no one leaves; it simply is not included in this report.
The Sticker Price, and Why That Number Is Not Final
At The University of Texas at Tyler, among 195 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 $11,040. Among 126 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $13,583; among 95 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,450. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (195 students) and the highest-income band (95 students) is $10,410. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $14,043.
$11,040 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid offer.
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 grant or scholarship aid, 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 Students Actually Receive and the Loans to Watch
69 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received aid that does not have to be repaid—grants or scholarships—with an average of $8,335 per year among recipients. And 40 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid program for low-income families. These are meaningful figures, although the aid does not reach everyone.
Here is a distinction that confuses many families and is worth repeating: the percentage tells you how many received aid; the average tells you how much only those who received it were awarded. They are not the same calculation and should not be multiplied by each other.
Regarding loans: 33 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan during the year, with an average of $7,125 among borrowers. That proportion ranks near the middle compared with similar schools. This is an average for a single year and includes only federal loans in the student’s name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, credit cards, or cumulative debt at graduation. That number is not in this report.
Here is something I want to tell you plainly: this percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow comes from your child’s own financial aid offer. Wait for that offer before ruling out this university and before committing to it.
The institution also reports a guaranteed tuition plan, installment payment plans, and participation in a Promise program—mechanisms that may help organize payment, although they do not change the final amount.
Campus Life: Housing, Athletics, and Support
The University of Texas at Tyler does have institution-owned housing, with a reported capacity of 1,924 students, either on or off campus. It is not required for all first-time, full-time students, although that does not mean no program requires it. The university also offers meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available when you request one: get the rate, application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a space or placed on a waiting list in writing.
In athletics, it competes in the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track. That membership belongs to the school, not your child: if the plan includes playing, contact the coach directly and ask about a place on the team, the division, and whether athletic aid is available.
Regarding ROTC, this university did not mark any opportunity in its report. That does not prove that no nearby option exists, but if your child’s plan depends on that scholarship, ask admissions directly before ruling out the university.
As for course delivery: 15 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load through distance education, while 85 took at least one class in person. The university does offer at least one fully distance-based program, although the report does not specify whether it is undergraduate or graduate; confirm this for the exact program that interests your child.
The library operates with paid staff and annual expenditures above $100,000, and it has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. The institution also reports academic and career counseling services, student employment, job placement for graduates, dedicated support for veterans and military service members, and a webpage for disability services. The existence of these services on paper does not tell you how accessible or effective they are in practice; verify that by asking questions and visiting.
How Many Stay and How Many Finish?
This may be the section most worth reading carefully, because this is where a cold statistic can become a very specific question to ask the school.
Of the first-time, full-time students who entered in 2022, 73 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had graduated one year later. This ranks near the middle compared with similar schools, slightly below the comparison group’s midpoint. Among part-time students who entered that same fall, the result was much lower: 25 out of every 100. These are two different groups with different lives; they do not overlap and should not be compared directly.
Now for graduation. Of the 650 first-time, full-time students who entered a bachelor’s degree program in 2017, 304 had graduated six years later. That is 47 out of every 100: nearly half and half. At the four-year mark, the figure drops to 36 out of every 100. Compared with similar public schools, it ranks below the group median.
Put plainly: if your child enters as part of this cohort, the likelihood of graduating within four years is lower than the likelihood of not doing so within that period. That is not a verdict about your child or any other individual. It is a snapshot of what happened to an entire group, and the report does not explain the reasons for each case. Before deciding, ask what specific support the school offers and how long students usually take to complete the exact program that interests your child.
There is also a broader view: when a complete cohort—including those who entered part time or with prior college experience—was followed for eight years, 58 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by 2023. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was similar: 57 out of every 100. But when looking only at students who entered full time and for the first time, with no prior college experience, the figure drops to 43 out of every 100, fifteen points below the broader group. This eight-year measure is a snapshot at a fixed date, not a measurement of how much time or money it took to get there. Before committing, it is worth asking in writing how long the specific program takes to complete, how required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path takes longer.
What You Can Do With All of This
You now understand, in considerable depth, one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what this university actually is, what it costs, and what measurable outcomes it produces. You still need to combine this with what your child wants to study and has accomplished so far, as well as what your family can and is willing to pay. No figure in this article makes that decision for you.
What falls to you is understanding your family’s finances before the aid offer arrives, asking the specific questions this article has pointed out—AP credit, the English exam, guaranteed housing, and the graduation rate for the exact program—and comparing carefully when the real options are on the table. What falls to your child is the effort, curiosity, and direction of your child’s own life along that path. And what falls to the university is admitting, denying, and offering aid; you have now seen, through the numbers, how it has done so to date.
With this information in hand, you have not finished your research. But you are no longer starting from scratch.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by The University of Texas at Tyler to the United States Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent The University of Texas at Tyler or any government agency; this article organizes and explains existing public information.