Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX · Public · Town (distant) · Carnegie R1/R2 · SHSU
Public institution in Huntsville, TX · 18,138 undergraduates · 85% acceptance rate · $54,211 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 6%Undergraduates
- Top 25%In-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $16,025752nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,228509th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $19,020799th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $24,517653rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,983887th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $54,211841st highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $45,337859th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 55.1%961st highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 75.4%946th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 85.4%1,089th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1055814th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 21703rd highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 18,138133rd largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 20.0:11,878th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 39.9%712th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 52 mi (IAH)
On 3 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- RDJul 1
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $50
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 57 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $67,304 | $69,740 |
| Construction Engineering TechnologiesEngineering Technology | bachelors | $58,221 | $60,128 |
| Agricultural MechanizationAgriculture | bachelors | $57,995 | $49,436 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $56,415 | $59,417 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $52,107 | $56,415 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $47,260 | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsForeign Languages | bachelors | $46,478 | $37,424 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $45,696 | $43,240 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $44,837 | $44,520 |
| Agriculture, GeneralAgriculture | bachelors | $44,356 | $44,091 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $44,244 | $45,383 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementAgriculture | bachelors | $43,798 | $46,087 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1879source
- Athletic nickname: "Bearkats"source
- Mascot: Sammy Bearkatsource
- Bowers Stadium seats about 14,000source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Motto: ""The measure of a Life is its Service""source
- Campus size: about 272 acressource
- Formerly known as "Sam Houston Normal Institute" (1879–1923)source
- Formerly known as "Sam Houston State Teachers College" (1923–1965)source
- Formerly known as "Sam Houston State College" (1965–1969)source
- Athletic conference: FBSsource
- Football rivalry: Sam Houston–Texas State (since 1915)source
- Fight song: ""Bearkat Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: Thaksin Shinawatrasource
- Notable alum: Richard Linklatersource
- Notable alum: Dana Andrewssource
- Notable alum: Dan Rathersource
- Notable alum: Charlie Wilsonsource
Athletics — 11 sports
NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $6,047,788 (M $3,830,678 · W $2,217,110)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Bowling
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websiteshsu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 227881)
- Compare colleges in TXRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in TexasEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Sam Houston State University vs South Texas CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.