Graduates of Sam Houston State University 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. Graduates earn about $5,811 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 78.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #732 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 838 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $51,748, ranked #87 nationally in its major. Business/Commerce, General reports 263 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $63,837, ranked #39 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,659, ranked #226 nationally in its major. Communication and Media Studies reports 186 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,125, ranked #169 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Sam Houston State University 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. Graduates earn about $5,811 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 78.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #732 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 838 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $51,748, ranked #87 nationally in its major. Business/Commerce, General reports 263 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $63,837, ranked #39 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,659, ranked #226 nationally in its major. Communication and Media Studies reports 186 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,125, ranked #169 nationally in its major.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $21,983 in debt with typical earnings.
Graduates of Sam Houston State University 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. Graduates earn about $5,811 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 78.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #732 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 838 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $51,748, ranked #87 nationally in its major. Business/Commerce, General reports 263 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $63,837, ranked #39 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,659, ranked #226 nationally in its major. Communication and Media Studies reports 186 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,125, ranked #169 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
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. 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 provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with national labor-market demand. ```
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Sam Houston State University 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. Graduates earn about $5,811 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 78.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Sam Houston State University #732 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 838 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $51,748, ranked #87 nationally in its major. Business/Commerce, General reports 263 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $63,837, ranked #39 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,659, ranked #226 nationally in its major. Communication and Media Studies reports 186 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,125, ranked #169 nationally in its major.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
