Sam Houston State University

www.shsu.edu

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    2024 Undergraduate Tuition
    $5,856
    2024 Average Net Price
    $14,737
    After Financial Aid
    2024 Acceptance Rate
    90.3%
    17,179 Applicants
    2024 Enrolled Students
    21,039
    77% Full-Time
    2024 Graduation Rate
    54.8%
    1,548 Graduates

    About

    Sam Houston State University is a higher education institution located in Walker County, TX. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Sam Houston State University were Criminal Justice - Safety Studies (741 degrees awarded), General Psychology (348 degrees), and Teacher Education (322 degrees).

    In 2024, 5,278 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Sam Houston State University. 66.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 33.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,595 degrees), 1.73 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,496 degrees).

    The median undergraduate tuition at Sam Houston State University is $5,856, which is $−26,064 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

    Doctoral Universities: Higher Research ActivityDoctoral Universities

    Costs

    In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at Sam Houston State University is $5,856, which is $26,064 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

    After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $14,737.

    In 2024, 68% of undergraduate students attending Sam Houston State University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 46% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

    Tuition Costs

    $5,856
    2024 Undergraduate Tuition

    In 2024, the cost of tuition at Sam Houston State University was $5,856. The cost of tuition at Sam Houston State University is $−26,064 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

    This chart compares the tuition costs of Sam Houston State University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

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    Average Net Price

    $14,737
    2024 Value
    1.24%
    1 Year Growth

    In 2024 Sam Houston State University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $14,737. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of Sam Houston State University grew by 1.24%.

    This chart compares the average net price of Sam Houston State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

    Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

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    Other Student Expenses

    $11,720
    Room and Board
    $1,380
    Books and Supplies

    The average yearly cost of room and board at Sam Houston State University was of $11,720 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 7.44% between 2023 and 2024.

    During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,380. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

    This chart compares the average student costs at Sam Houston State University (in red) with that of similar universities.

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    Financial Aid by Income Level

    68%
    Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants
    46%
    Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

    68% of undergraduate students at Sam Houston State University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a decline of 1.45% with respect to 2023, when 69% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

    This chart compares the average award discount at Sam Houston State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

    The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

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    Admissions

    Sam Houston State University received 17,179 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 2.29% annual growth. Out of those 17,179 applicants, 15,506 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 90.3% acceptance rate.

    There were 21,039 students enrolled at Sam Houston State University in 2024. 52% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

    Sam Houston State University has an overall enrollment yield of 21.1%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

    Acceptance Rate

    90.3%
    Acceptance Rate in 2024
    15,506
    Accepted Out of 17,179

    In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Sam Houston State University was 90.3% (15,506 admissions from 17,179 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 85.4%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants declined by 2.29%, while admissions grew by 3.28%.

    This chart compares the acceptance rate of Sam Houston State University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

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    SAT Scores

    52%
    Submission Percentage (2024)
    1,711
    Scores Submitted (2024)

    52% of enrolled first-time students at Sam Houston State University in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

    The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

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    Enrollment

    Sam Houston State University had a total enrollment of 21,039 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at Sam Houston State University is 16,205 students and the part-time enrollment is 4,834. This means that 77% of students enrolled at Sam Houston State University are enrolled full-time.

    The enrolled student population at Sam Houston State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 44.7% White, 28.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Black or African American, 3.44% Two or More Races, 3.2% Asian, 0.661% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0998% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

    Students enrolled at Sam Houston State University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (27.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (18.7%) and White Male (17.2%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (26.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (15.6%) and White Male (15.1%).

    Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

    77%
    Full-Time Enrollment

    The total enrollment at Sam Houston State University in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 21,039 students. The full-time enrollment at Sam Houston State University is 16,205 and the part-time enrollment is 4,834. This means that 77% of students enrolled at Sam Houston State University are enrolled full-time compared with 77.3% at similar Doctoral Universities.

    This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Sam Houston State University (in red) compares to similar universities.

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    Retention Rate over Time

    73%
    2024 Retention Rate

    Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Sam Houston State University was 73%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (82%), Sam Houston State University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

    This chart shows the retention rate over time at Sam Houston State University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

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    Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

    Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)
    1. White
      9,398 enrolled students
    2. Hispanic or Latino
      5,986 enrolled students
    3. Black or African American
      3,566 enrolled students

    The enrolled student population at Sam Houston State University is 44.7% White, 28.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Black or African American, 3.44% Two or More Races, 3.2% Asian, 0.661% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0998% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 46.2% White, 16.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 10.4% Black or African American.

    Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 278 students (1.32%) did not report their race.

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    Graduates

    In 2024, 1,732 more women than men received degrees from Sam Houston State University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Sam Houston State University is white (2,595 degrees awarded). There were 1.73 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,496 degrees).

    The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Sam Houston State University is Criminal Justice - Safety Studies (741 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (348 degrees) and Teacher Education (322 degrees).

    In 2024,  the most specialized majors across all degree types at Sam Houston State University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Protective Services (1,013 degrees awarded), Library Science (45 degrees), and Agriculture (206 degrees).

    Common Jobs by Major

    Police officers
    Most Common Job

    The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Sam Houston State University are Police officers (141,989 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (126,339 people), Other managers (124,597 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (87,623 people), and Secondary school teachers (69,721 people).

    The most specialized majors at Sam Houston State University in 2024 are Protective Services (1,013 degrees awarded), Library Science (45 degrees), Agriculture (206 degrees), History (112 degrees), and Communication Technologies (51 degrees) (as of 2024).

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    Highest Paying Jobs by Major

    Agents & business managers of artists, performers, & athletes
    Highest Paying Job

    The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Sam Houston State University are Agents & business managers of artists, performers, & athletes, Surgeons, Chief executives & legislators, Diagnostic medical sonographers, and Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

    The most specialized majors at Sam Houston State University are Protective Services (1,013 degrees awarded), Library Science (45 degrees), Agriculture (206 degrees), History (112 degrees), and Communication Technologies (51 degrees) (as of 2024).

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    Common Industries by Major

    Justice, public order, & safety activities
    Most Common Industry

    The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Sam Houston State University are Justice, public order, & safety activities (338,887 people), Elementary & secondary schools (240,773 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (138,353 people), Legal services (110,380 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (75,624 people).

    The most specialized majors at Sam Houston State University are Protective Services (1,013 degrees awarded), Library Science (45 degrees), Agriculture (206 degrees), History (112 degrees), and Communication Technologies (51 degrees) (as of 2024).

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    Majors Awarded

    IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Sam Houston State University.
    Most Common (2024)
    1. Criminal Justice - Safety Studies
      741 degrees awarded
    2. General Psychology
      348 degrees awarded
    3. Teacher Education
      322 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Sam Houston State University was Criminal Justice - Safety Studies with 741 degrees awarded.

    This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Sam Houston State University according to their major.

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    Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

    1,773
    Degrees Awarded to Men
    in 2024
    3,505
    Degrees Awarded to Women
    in 2024

    In 2024, 1,773 degrees were awarded to men at Sam Houston State University, which is 0.506 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (3,505).

    This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Sam Houston State University by degrees awarded.

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    Most Common Male Majors

    In 2024, 259 degrees were awarded to men at Sam Houston State University in Criminal Justice - Safety Studies, which is 0.49 times less than the 529 female recipients with that same degree.

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    Most Common Female Majors

    In 2024, 529 degrees were awarded to men at Sam Houston State University in Criminal Justice - Safety Studies, which is 2.04 times more than the 259 male recipients with that same degree.

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    Time to Complete

    34%
    100% Completion Time
    56%
    150% Completion Time

    In 2024, 34% of students graduating from Sam Houston State University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 56% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 58% within 200%.

    The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

    Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Share

    Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)
    1. White
      2,595 degrees awarded
    2. Hispanic or Latino
      1,496 degrees awarded
    3. Black or African American
      689 degrees awarded

    The most common race/ethnicity at Sam Houston State University is white (2,595 degrees awarded). There were 1.73 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,496 degrees).

    1.35% of degree recipients (71 students) did not report their race.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Sex

    Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)
    1. White Female
      1,820 degrees awarded
    2. White Female
      1,778 degrees awarded
    3. White Female
      1,764 degrees awarded

    The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Sam Houston State University is white female (1,820 degrees awarded). There were 1.02 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (1,778 degrees).

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    Operations

    Sam Houston State University has an endowment valued at nearly $191M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 41.1M (21.6%) compared to the 9.4% average return (23.7M on 252M) across all Doctoral Universities.

    In 2024, Sam Houston State University had a total salary expenditure of 506M. Sam Houston State University employs 276 Lecturers, 191 Professors and 174 Assistant professors. Most academics at Sam Houston State University are Female Lecturer (171), Male Professor (119), and Male Lecturer (105).

    The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Sam Houston State University are: Office and Administrative Support, with 415 employees, Business and Financial Operations, with 287 employees, and Service with 180 employees.

    Endowment

    $191M
    2024 Endowment
    16.6%
    growth from 2023

    Sam Houston State University has an endowment valued at about $191M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of Sam Houston State University grew 16.6% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $61.2M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

    This line chart shows how the endowment at Sam Houston State University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

    The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

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    Government Grants and Contracts

    Grants & Contracts
    1. $13.8M - Federal
    2. $26.2M - State
    3. $6.04M - Local

    As of 2024, Sam Houston State University received $13.8M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $26.2M from state grants and contracts, and $6.04M from local grants and contracts.

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    Salary Expenditure

    $194M
    2024 Salaries
    5.62%
    growth from 2023

    In 2024, Sam Houston State University paid a median of $194M in salaries, which represents 38.3% of their overall expenditure ($506M) and a 5.62% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 4.94% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 5.09% growth between 2021 and 2022.

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    Instructional Salaries

    $60M
    Instructional Salaries
    812
    Number of Employees

    In 2024, Sam Houston State University paid a total of $60M to 812 employees working as instructors, which represents 31% of all salaries paid.

    This is compared to a median of $4.1M (2.29%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

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    Occupations by Share

    In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Sam Houston State University were Office and Administrative Support with 415 employees, Business and Financial Operations with 287 employees, and Service with 180 employees.

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