Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #118 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $57,044, placing Sam Houston State University in the 31.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Sam Houston State University sits in the 78.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the university's strength in Security and Protective Services — a program family with direct pathways into stable, in-demand careers. --- Sam Houston State University's composite ranking reflects a consistent pattern of converting broad access into solid graduate earnings, anchored by one of the most distinctive program concentrations in the Azimuth coverage set. The university's standing for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions signals that graduates outperform what similar students earn at comparable institutions — a result driven in part by the focused career alignment of its dominant programs.
Azimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #118 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Huntsville, TX, Sam Houston State University enrolls roughly 17,743 undergraduates. Retention stands at 73.2% and the six-year graduation rate is 54.8%, figures that reflect steady degree completion for a regional university of this scale. What anchors Sam Houston State University's composite position is mobility. The university sits in the 95.7 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, driven by a student body where 41.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 41.4% are first-generation college students. That broad-access profile — paired with an admission rate of 90.3% — means Sam Houston State University serves a wide cross-section of TX families and converts that access into measurable upward movement. The dominant program family is Security & Protective Services, which shapes both the institution's identity and its graduates' career trajectories. Return on investment is the lower-ranked pillar in the composite. Sam Houston State University sits in the 50.6 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $57,044, which sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $5,811 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Sam Houston State University in the 78.2 percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions. The 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 69.0 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, and access in the 88.5 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Sam Houston State University prices its degrees accessibly across the income spectrum. Low-income families pay approximately $12,474 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $15,540, and higher-income families pay approximately $24,101. Azimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #442 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That standing reflects the university's public-tuition structure and the meaningful role need-based aid plays in reducing out-of-pocket costs for students who qualify. The gap between the published cost of attendance and what most students actually pay is a meaningful one — families researching Sam Houston State University should focus on net price rather than sticker price when comparing options, since the net price illusion can make public universities appear more expensive than they are. Need-based grant aid covers a substantial share of costs for lower-income students, and the university participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Students apply through the FAFSA, and Texas state grant programs provide additional support for qualifying residents. The spread between what low-income and higher-income families pay reflects the university's aid structure, which directs more grant support toward students with demonstrated financial need. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,983, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $19,433; 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 the institution's median four-year earnings of $57,044, median federal debt of $21,983 projects to a monthly payment of about $248 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Sam Houston State University is a strong fit for students drawn to criminal justice, security, and protective services who want a public university in TX with a clear career pathway and manageable costs. It works especially well for cost-sensitive students — including Pell-eligible and first-generation applicants — who want reliable post-graduation earnings without taking on excessive debt. The earnings case is grounded in outcomes. Graduates earn in the 31.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Sam Houston State University sits in the 78.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions — graduates earn about $5,811 more than similar students at comparable institutions, a meaningful signal given the institution's program mix in Security & Protective Services. The access profile is broad. 41.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 41.4% are first-generation students, and Sam Houston State University sits in the 69.6 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 — suggesting that students from lower-income backgrounds have achieved solid outcomes here. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program portfolio is concentrated in Security & Protective Services and adjacent applied fields, so students whose interests align with public safety, criminal justice, or related disciplines will find the strongest outcomes. Students seeking broad STEM or business-intensive programs will find a narrower set of high-earning options.
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
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Sam Houston State University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Computer and Information Sciences, General
33 graduates
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
69 graduates
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
154 graduates
Management Information Systems and Services
42 graduates
Finance and Financial Management Services
123 graduates
Sam Houston State University's program mix is anchored in Security & Protective Services, which accounts for 19% of graduates — a concentration that reflects the university's well-known criminal justice and corrections programs. Education represents 7% of degree output, and Arts accounts for 5%, giving the institution a applied-professional orientation overall.
Criminal Justice is the largest program with 838 graduates, followed by Teacher Education (296 graduates), Business/Commerce, General (263 graduates), Psychology, General (243 graduates), and Communication and Media Studies (186 graduates). Across 59 programs serving roughly 4,235 students annually, 46 meet Azimuth's [ranking threshold](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).
The strongest earnings come from health and business fields. Nursing leads with median earnings of $91,697 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #116 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The Business/Commerce, General program graduates 263 students and earns $63,837, while Azimuth ranks Kinesiology #75 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $57,341. Criminal Justice combines strong enrollment scale with solid pay, making it a key driver of the institution's overall earnings profile.
Nursing and health programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly into in-demand roles, and four-year earnings reflect real labor-market outcomes. Criminal Justice, by contrast, is a field where four-year earnings may understate long-term trajectory for graduates who continue to law school or federal service.
The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with national labor-market demand. ```
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Sam Houston State University prices its degrees accessibly across the income spectrum. Low-income families pay approximately $12,474 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $15,540, and higher-income families pay approximately $24,101.
Azimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #442 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That standing reflects the university's public-tuition structure and the meaningful role need-based aid plays in reducing out-of-pocket costs for students who qualify.
The gap between the published cost of attendance and what most students actually pay is a meaningful one — families researching Sam Houston State University should focus on net price rather than sticker price when comparing options, since the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) can make public universities appear more expensive than they are. Need-based grant aid covers a substantial share of costs for lower-income students, and the university participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs.
Students apply through the FAFSA, and Texas state grant programs provide additional support for qualifying residents. The spread between what low-income and higher-income families pay reflects the university's aid structure, which directs more grant support toward students with demonstrated financial need.
Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,983, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $19,433; 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 the institution's median four-year earnings of $57,044, median federal debt of $21,983 projects to a monthly payment of about $248 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 Sam Houston State University earn median earnings of $57,044 four years after enrollment, placing Sam Houston State University in the 31.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates earn about $5,811 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 78.2 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.
The degree mix at Sam Houston State University is anchored by Security & Protective Services, which accounts for 19% of graduates, followed by Education at 7% and Arts at 5%. Criminal Justice combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it the program with the highest aggregate return.
Azimuth ranks Criminal Justice #73 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 838 graduates earning median earnings of $51,748. Among other notable programs, Azimuth ranks Business/Commerce, General #25 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $63,837, and Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #222 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $47,659.
Communication and Media Studies adds further depth, with Azimuth ranking it #150 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates earning median earnings of $50,125.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas Woman's University Similar quality tier in Southwest (#4244 ranked) | TX | 96% | $56,544 | #4244 | Compare |
Temple University Similar quality tier (#4247 ranked) | PA | 80% | $63,727 | #4247 | Compare |
University At Albany Similar quality tier (#4242 ranked) | NY | 69% | $67,979 | #4242 | Compare |
Prairie View A & M University Similar quality tier in Southwest (#4241 ranked) | TX | 79% | $45,411 | #4241 | Compare |
Towson University Similar quality tier (#4248 ranked) | MD | 82% | $64,390 | #4248 | Compare |
