Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Lamar University #154 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $12,594 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lamar University in the 89.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lamar University #303 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- Lamar University, a public university in Beaumont, Texas, delivers graduate earnings that outpace what similar students earn at comparable institutions — a meaningful signal for a broad-access institution serving a substantial share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students. Its mobility ranking reflects the university's ability to move students from a wide range of backgrounds toward durable post-graduation outcomes, anchored by a dominant program mix in Business and aligned fields.
Azimuth ranks Lamar University #154 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Beaumont, TX, Lamar University enrolls roughly 8,150 undergraduates. Retention stands at 61.9% and the six-year graduation rate is 37.3%, figures that reflect the realities of an open-access regional institution serving a broad cross-section of Southeast Texas. The composite is anchored by mobility and access. 46.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 43.3% are first-generation college students — shares that place Lamar University well above national norms for who it serves. Lamar University sits in the 79.2 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions and in the 83.3 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the university's role as a primary pathway into degree attainment for students from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds across the Gulf Coast region. The dominant program family is Business, which shapes much of the institution's workforce pipeline. Return on investment is the weaker pillar in the composite. Azimuth ranks Lamar University #361 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 75.7 percentile. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $66,816, below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $12,594 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lamar University in the 89.6 percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions. These earnings figures reflect TX's regional labor market and a student population whose post-graduation outcomes represent meaningful returns relative to the no-degree-equivalent baseline of $31,626, even where they fall below selective-peer averages. Affordability sits in the 90.8 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Lamar University's published cost of attendance is $22,254, but need-based aid meaningfully reduces what most families pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $7,568, middle-income families pay around $8,545, and higher-income families pay approximately $16,292. Azimuth ranks Lamar University #132 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. As a public university in Texas, Lamar University participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, including Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and Texas-specific grant programs that can further reduce out-of-pocket costs for qualifying students. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and the gap between sticker price and net price can be substantial for lower-income households — a dynamic worth understanding before drawing conclusions from the published cost of attendance alone. See how net price and sticker price differ for context on how aid reshapes the real cost of college. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $11,359; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at Lamar University's median four-year earnings of $66,816, median federal debt of $21,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $240 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Lamar University is a public university in Beaumont, TX, and a strong fit for students drawn to business, applied professional fields, and regional career pathways in Southeast Texas who want a straightforward path to solid post-graduation earnings without taking on excessive debt. Graduates earn about $12,594 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lamar University in the 89.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $66,816, placing Lamar University in the 70.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Lamar University enrolls a substantial share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 46.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 43.3% are first-generation — and Lamar University sits in the 50.4 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions, a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon. For cost-sensitive families, median student debt at graduation is $21,250, and higher-income families pay a net price of approximately $16,292. Fit depends on two realistic filters: Lamar University's program mix is concentrated in Business and applied professional fields, so students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes; and the university's regional labor-market orientation means graduates who plan to build careers in Southeast Texas or the broader Gulf Coast region will benefit most from its employer relationships and local network depth.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
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Financial GPS Tool
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This is the Lamar University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Lamar University's published cost of attendance is $22,254, but need-based aid meaningfully reduces what most families pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $7,568, middle-income families pay around $8,545, and higher-income families pay approximately $16,292.
Azimuth ranks Lamar University #132 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
As a public university in Texas, Lamar University participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, including Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and Texas-specific grant programs that can further reduce out-of-pocket costs for qualifying students. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and the gap between sticker price and net price can be substantial for lower-income households — a dynamic worth understanding before drawing conclusions from the published cost of attendance alone.
See [how net price and sticker price differ](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for context on how aid reshapes the real cost of college. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $11,359; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at Lamar University's median four-year earnings of $66,816, median federal debt of $21,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $240 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Lamar University earn median earnings of $66,816 four years after enrollment, placing Lamar University in the 70.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates earn about $12,594 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 89.6 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to TX's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626, the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.
While institution-level median earnings track the regional labor market in Southeast Texas, specific programs deliver materially stronger outcomes. Nursing combines substantial enrollment with solid pay, anchoring the return story.
Azimuth ranks Interdisciplinary Studies #43 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 258 graduates earning median earnings of $54,116 — 1.0x the national benchmark for the field. Azimuth ranks Nursing #112 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 169 graduates earning median earnings of $93,709.
The Criminal Justice program graduates 99 students with median earnings of $54,509, and Azimuth ranks the program #137 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business is the dominant program family, representing 17% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 12% and Social Sciences at 3%.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
California State University-Channel Islands Similar quality tier (#4324 ranked) | CA | 95% | $62,152 | #4324 | Compare |
University Of Houston-Clear Lake Similar quality tier in Southwest (#4318 ranked) | TX | 91% | $59,004 | #4318 | Compare |
University Of Kansas Similar quality tier (#4317 ranked) | KS | 93% | $61,945 | #4317 | Compare |
University Of Iowa Similar quality tier (#4316 ranked) | IA | 84% | $64,762 | #4316 | Compare |
University Of Maryland-Baltimore County Similar quality tier (#4329 ranked) | MD | 72% | $69,960 | #4329 | Compare |
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
31 graduates
Chemical Engineering
46 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
66 graduates
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
169 graduates
Industrial Engineering
20 graduates
Lamar University's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 17% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 12% and Social Sciences at 3%. That applied-professional concentration shapes the institution's earnings profile: the largest programs feed directly into regional workforce pipelines in Southeast Texas, and the strongest financial outcomes cluster in business-adjacent and technical fields.
Nursing combines substantial enrollment with solid pay, making it the program that contributes most to Lamar University's overall earnings picture. Among the largest programs, Interdisciplinary Studies program graduates 258 students annually with median earnings of $54,116 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #43 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The Nursing program graduates 169 students with median earnings of $93,709, while The Criminal Justice program graduates 99 students earning $54,509. On the earnings side, Mechanical Engineering leads with median earnings of $97,159 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #92 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Nursing follows at $93,709, and Azimuth ranks Business Administration #197 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $66,279. Several of Lamar University's strongest programs — particularly Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, and Interdisciplinary Studies — are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes.
Programs like General Studies and Business Administration, by contrast, often serve as stepping stones toward graduate or professional study, meaning four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory for a meaningful share of completers. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how Lamar University's dominant program families align with broader national wage trends, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates programs across 43 fields serving roughly 1,633 students annually. ```
