Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #295 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median $63,864 four years after enrollment, placing The University of Texas Permian Basin in the 63.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The University of Texas Permian Basin sits in the 87.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting graduates who earn about $11,011 more than similar students at comparable institutions. Students at The University of Texas Permian Basin achieve earnings that consistently outpace what similar students earn at comparable institutions, a signal of strong return on investment relative to cost paid. Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #323 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, anchored by median earnings that place the university well above the midpoint of its peer group.
Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #295 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Odessa, TX, University of Texas Permian Basin enrolls roughly 3,911 undergraduates. Retention and completion figures reflect the institution's regional, working-adult student population, with a six-year graduation rate of 39.7% and a freshman retention rate of 60.9%. The composite is anchored by return on investment and affordability. Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #323 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median $63,864 four years after enrollment, and earn about $11,011 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing The University of Texas Permian Basin in the 87.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program concentration in Business — a field with strong regional labor-market demand in the Permian Basin economy — helps explain why graduates outperform expectations relative to comparable institutions. Access and mobility round out the picture. 38.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 46.2% are first-generation college students, reflecting The University of Texas Permian Basin's role as a broad-access institution serving a predominantly working-class and first-generation population in West Texas. Affordability sits in the 90.5 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and access sits in the 58.5 percentile, consistent with the university's open-enrollment posture. Mobility sits in the 51.5 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the institution's ability to move students from modest starting points into stable, regionally competitive careers.
The University of Texas Permian Basin's published cost of attendance is $23,886, but need-based aid reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $11,930; middle-income families pay around $12,823; and higher-income families pay approximately $17,810. Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #136 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. The University of Texas Permian Basin participates in federal need-based aid programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, alongside institutional aid. The institution's affordability profile reflects both its public-university tuition structure and the aid resources available to support students across income levels. Families should review the institution's financial aid page for current aid-package details and application requirements. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $17,750, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $13,000; 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 $63,864, median federal debt of $17,750 projects to a monthly payment of about $201 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
The University of Texas Permian Basin is a strong fit for students in the Permian Basin region and across TX who are drawn to business, applied professional fields, and career-ready programs at an accessible public institution — particularly those who want solid long-term financial outcomes without taking on excessive debt. Graduates earn about $11,011 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing The University of Texas Permian Basin in the 87.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $63,864, placing The University of Texas Permian Basin in the 63.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions — a return profile anchored heavily in Business and related applied fields. The institution enrolls a large share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 38.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 46.2% are first-generation — and the broad-access admissions profile means most qualified applicants gain entry. For cost-sensitive families, the combination of open access and earnings that exceed expectations for similar students makes The University of Texas Permian Basin a practical, lower-risk path to a credential with regional labor-market value. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program mix is concentrated in Business and professionally oriented fields, so students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes, while those seeking deep STEM or liberal-arts research depth may find the portfolio narrower than at larger flagship institutions.
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.
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This is the The University Of Texas Permian Basin 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.
The University of Texas Permian Basin's published cost of attendance is $23,886, but need-based aid reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $11,930; middle-income families pay around $12,823; and higher-income families pay approximately $17,810.
Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #136 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.
The University of Texas Permian Basin participates in federal need-based aid programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, alongside institutional aid. The institution's affordability profile reflects both its public-university tuition structure and the aid resources available to support students across income levels.
Families should review the institution's financial aid page for current aid-package details and application requirements. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $17,750, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $13,000; 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 $63,864, median federal debt of $17,750 projects to a monthly payment of about $201 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 The University of Texas Permian Basin earn median 4-year earnings of $63,864, placing The University of Texas Permian Basin in the 63.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,011 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 87.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #322 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major.
Communication and Media Studies reports 34 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $60,805, ranked #20 nationally in its major.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suny Buffalo State University Similar quality tier (#10786 ranked) | NY | 73% | $52,334 | #10786 | Compare |
Governors State University Similar quality tier (#10783 ranked) | IL | 48% | $58,169 | #10783 | Compare |
Bowie State University Similar quality tier (#10782 ranked) | MD | 72% | $54,537 | #10782 | Compare |
Southern Utah University Similar quality tier (#10790 ranked) | UT | 82% | $50,296 | #10790 | Compare |
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Similar quality tier in Southwest (#10793 ranked) | TX | 89% | $51,865 | #10793 | Compare |
Petroleum Engineering
24 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
48 graduates
Communication and Media Studies, Other
34 graduates
Artificial Intelligence
30 graduates
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
65 graduates
The University of Texas Permian Basin's program mix is anchored in Business, with secondary concentrations in Engineering and Social Sciences. The largest programs by graduate count are Psychology, General (125 graduates), Business Administration (113 graduates), Interdisciplinary Studies (90 graduates), Nursing (65 graduates), and Kinesiology (62 graduates).
Business accounts for 21% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 8% and Social Sciences at 6%, a distribution that reflects the university's applied, career-oriented identity in the Permian Basin region. The strongest national ranking in the University of Texas Permian Basin program portfolio belongs to Communication and Media Studies, where Azimuth ranks the program #24 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $60,805 four years after enrollment.
Communication and Media Studies represents the highest aggregate return program at the institution, combining cohort scale with solid earnings outcomes to anchor the university's overall financial profile. These programs reflect the institution's alignment with regional labor-market demand, particularly in energy, business services, and applied technical fields that define the West Texas economy.
For context on how Azimuth evaluates program rankings, see [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Across 30 programs serving roughly 961 students annually, University of Texas Permian Basin concentrates its degree output in fields with direct workforce pathways rather than graduate-school-dependent tracks.
Business and applied professional programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the regional and national labor market directly, and four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes rather than an undercount from continued schooling. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with national and regional labor-market demand.
