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Texas Southern University
Admission at Texas Southern University is close to open (96.9%), which shifts the homework to outcomes: check the $38,924 median earnings below before the application.
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Texas Southern University sits in Houston proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It is one of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities, a designation that shapes both its history and its present mission.
Its highest-earning path is Civil Engineering, where graduates median $71,595 four years out. 72.3% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 6,844 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 66.2% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 800 and 1000 — below the TX middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Texas Southern University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Texas Southern University received 7,867 applications and admitted 7,344 (93.4%), with 1,657 enrolling.
You can apply to Texas Southern University without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 800 and 1000; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 420 | 470 | 510 |
| SAT Math | 380 | 430 | 490 |
| ACT Composite | 15 | 17 | 19 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Texas Southern University compares
| Texas Southern University | Texas median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 96.9% | 84.4% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $9,173 | $13,498 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $38,924 | $54,132 | $53,781 |
At $38,924, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($54,132). Look at Texas Southern University's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $9,173 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $21,473. For non-residents, Texas Southern University's $21,473 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
At 6,844 undergrads, Texas Southern University is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
Fewer than half of Texas Southern University students — 22.2% — finish within six years. That number should shape how much debt feels safe.
Top majors by earnings at Texas Southern University
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | $71,595 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $70,201 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $62,728 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $59,386 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $56,482 |
| Biology, General | $55,321 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $53,203 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $51,195 |
| Social Work | $49,871 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $48,426 |
| Psychology, General | $47,185 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $45,961 |
| Journalism | $45,152 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $44,953 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $44,612 |
| Marketing | $41,768 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $40,687 |
Median earnings for these 17 Texas Southern University programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $38,924 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 30 additional Texas Southern University programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Texas Southern University?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 800–1000 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 96.9% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Texas Southern University's acceptance rate?
93.4% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 7,344 admitted from 7,867 applicants.
How much does Texas Southern University cost?
In-state tuition is $9,173; out-of-state students pay $21,473. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do Texas Southern University graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $38,924 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Texas
- The University of Texas at San Antonio — 86.8% admitted
- The University of Texas Permian Basin — 94.9% admitted
- Texas Lutheran University — 95.7% admitted
- Texas Woman's University — 96.1% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.