Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX · Public
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Sam Houston State University admitted 90.3% of applicants university-wide (15,506 of 17,179).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 90.3% | 15,506 | 17,179 |
| In-state | 75.0% | 6,750 | 9,000 |
| Out-of-state | 75.0% | 600 | 800 |
| International applicants | 75.0% | 150 | 200 |
| Men | 88.1% | 5,257 | 5,966 |
| Women | 91.4% | 10,249 | 11,213 |
Of 15,506 admitted students, 3,270 enrolled (21.1% yield).
Sam Houston State University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 930–1120
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 17–24
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.74
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Sam Houston State University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $38,168/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $19,068 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $19,100 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $38,168/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $12,474 |
| $30k–48k | $13,389 |
| $48k–75k | $15,540 |
| $75k–110k | $21,366 |
| Over $110k | $24,101 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- President's Excellence Scholarship — $8,000 per year (Automatic)
- Dean's Excellence Scholarship — $6,000 per year (Automatic)
- Academic Excellence Scholarship — $4,000 per year (Automatic)
- Bearkat Scholar Award — $3,000 per year (Automatic)
- Bearkat Excellence Scholarship — $2,000 per year (Automatic)
- Bearkat Advantage Scholarship — $1,000 per year (Automatic)
- Sam Houston Promise — Full tuition and mandatory fees (Full Tuition)
- Sam Houston State University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- President's Excellence Scholarship — $8,000 per year (Automatic)
- Dean's Excellence Scholarship — $6,000 per year (Automatic)
- Academic Excellence Scholarship — $4,000 per year (Automatic)
- Bearkat Excellence Scholarship — $2,000 per year (Automatic)
- International Student Scholarship — Up to $1,000 per year (Need Based)
- Global Engagement Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
Sam Houston State University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Application (ApplyTexas or Common App)
- Official high school transcript
- Application fee
International applicants
- Application (ApplyTexas or Common App)
- Official high school transcript
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Sam Houston State University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $54,211
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 54.8%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 73%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $21,983
- At graduation
Sam Houston State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #257
- WSJ: #231
- Niche: #554
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (18%), Psychology (8%), Visual & performing arts (5%).
Student–faculty ratio: 20:1 · 38% of class sections have under 20 students.
Sam Houston State University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.