TX · Medium public institution · Overall rank #298 nationally
Data snapshot · Updated
Azimuth places the university in the 80th percentile overall.
Who it’s a good fit for
The University of Texas Permian Basin is a public university in Odessa, Texas, where Business and Psychology lead the degree mix. Affordability is among the highest we track.
Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. The model attributes more of that to the factors it measures than to what it cannot explain.
Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, so the four-year earnings figure reflects those in the workforce. Affordability is among the highest we track.
Families at the bottom of the income scale pay well below the published cost, and Pell students complete below the overall rate. Mobility is around the average.
The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and the largest program is Communication and Media Studies. A student drawn to that field should know it is also the best-paid program here.
The University of Texas Permian Basin rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]
The University of Texas Permian Basin is a public university in Odessa, Texas, enrolling 3,911 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the upper fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (80th percentile).
The University of Texas Permian Basin admits 94.9% of applicants, against a peer median of 85.9% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 60.9% return after the first year, compared with a peer median of 73.7%.
The six-year graduation rate for that same cohort is 39.7%, against a peer median of 49.1% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. An estimated 51.4% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the first-time full-time cohort describes a minority of the people who study here.
Affordability is the strongest , while mobility is the weakest. Return and access sit between them, so the four pillars cover a broad range.
At The University of Texas Permian Basin, affordability is the clearest pillar, with costs standing well ahead of the university’s other Azimuth measures. Azimuth places affordability in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth puts return in the 78th percentile and access in the 59th percentile. Mobility, the weakest pillar, is in the 51st percentile.
Affordability and return provide the stronger parts of the profile, while access and mobility sit closer to the middle.
38.7% of undergraduates at The University of Texas Permian Basin receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks The University of Texas Permian Basin #606 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The Pell completion rate is 30.8%, which sits 8.9 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (39.7%). Azimuth ranks the university #718 for mobility. Graduates earn about $10,039 more than the model expects for similar students.
Affordability is the strongest pillar at The University of Texas Permian Basin, and the numbers bear that out. The published cost of attendance is $23,886, but aid covers about 47% of that for the average recipient.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $6,577 and required fees of $3,034 for the 2026-27 academic year. On-campus food and housing ran $14,292.
Out-of-state students face tuition of $18,727. After grants and scholarships, the average net price across all aid recipients is $12,723.
That is $1,345 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #135 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The University of Texas Permian Basin lists a published cost of attendance of $23,886, with aid-recipient costs differing by family-income band. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $11,930 in the lowest family-income band, $10,491 in the lower-middle band, $12,823 in the middle band, $13,294 in the upper-middle band, and $17,810 in the highest band.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $5,880. Azimuth ranks the university #135 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Aid reduces the published cost by an average of $11,163 for recipients, and aid covers about 47% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across all aid recipients, the is $12,723, which is $1,345 below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $14,068.
The aid offset and lower peer comparison point in the same direction on price. Federal student loan borrowers who complete have median debt of $17,750, and 71.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
That median is $3,479 below the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $202 a month if repaid over ten years.
Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.
Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$12,823
After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.
Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.
Borrowing and repayment at The University of Texas Permian Basin
Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student debt is $17,750. That is $3,479 below the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $202 a month. Federal borrowing is widespread at The University of Texas Permian Basin: 71.6% of federal aid recipients take a federal loan.
Parent PLUS borrowing is a separate population. The median amount parents borrow is $13,000.
At The University of Texas Permian Basin, above-expected earnings and lower borrowing give the investment picture a favorable direction. Graduates working and not enrolled earn a median of $63,864 four years after completion, placing their earnings in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, also rank in the 83rd percentile. Graduates earn about $10,039 more than the model expects for similar students.
The earnings scenarios put earnings at $49,807 in a downside case, $63,864 in a typical case, and $89,103 in an upside case. Median federal student loan debt is $17,750, $3,479 below the $21,229 median at comparable institutions of the same type and size.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $202 a month if repaid over ten years.
Parent borrowing is a separate part of the family cost picture: median Parent PLUS borrowing is $13,000 for parent borrowers. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $202 a month if repaid over ten years.
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
Estimated student payment · monthly
$202/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$165/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Return figures are favorable at The University of Texas Permian Basin, whose return pillar sits in the 78th percentile of nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,039 more than the model expects for similar students.
That earnings-beyond-expectations result, the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students, reaches the 83rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,947.
The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $4,092. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $63,864 four years after completion, placing the university in the 62nd percentile.
The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; the university stands $6,563 above it. Above-peer earnings and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction.
For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, The University of Texas Permian Basin has median earnings of $63,864 four years after completion. The earnings cohort includes 159 completers, and Azimuth places this measure in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $10,039 more than the model expects for similar students. Modeled from the university's program mix, the earnings scenarios extend from $49,807 in the downside scenario to $89,103 in the upside scenario; the typical scenario aligns with the reported median.
An estimated 29.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The scenarios show variation across fields, while the model result describes the overall earnings picture.
The University of Texas Permian Basin posts earnings beyond expectations alongside an above-peer median. Graduates earn about $10,039 more than the model expects for similar students.
, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, place the university in the 83rd percentile. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $63,864 four years after completion, in the 62nd percentile.
The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, making the university’s median $6,563 above that mark. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $49,807 in the downside scenario to $89,103 in the upside scenario. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,947.
The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $4,092. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,760.
The above-peer median and earnings beyond expectations point in the same direction. The published program-level evidence covers 1 field, with Communication and Media Studies also the largest program with published earnings by degrees awarded.
With the available field’s earnings near the institution-wide median, it offers a direct program-level reference for the broader return figures.
At The University of Texas Permian Basin, the program mix points to considerable variation in modeled earnings. The downside scenario is $49,807, and the upside scenario is $89,103; both are earnings scenarios rather than observed groups of graduates.
Published earnings data cover 1 field. In Communication and Media Studies, median earnings are $60,805 four years after completion, with 34 degrees awarded.
The modeled range therefore sketches possible variation beyond the available published field result.
At The University of Texas Permian Basin, affordability is the clearest part of the financial picture. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,723.
By income band, average net prices are $11,930 in the lowest band, $10,491 in the next band, $12,823 in the middle band, $13,294 in the next-highest band, and $17,810 in the highest band. Aid covers about 47% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.
Borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $17,750. That is below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size), by $3,479.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $202 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $10,039 more than the model expects for similar students. Lower borrowing and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction.
What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$5,947
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$4,092
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$10,039
These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
Admission is relatively broad at The University of Texas Permian Basin, where 94.9% of applicants were admitted. That rate is above the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 1,563 first-year applicants and 1,508 admitted applicants.
SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
94.9%
25th percentile
900
Median
1010
75th percentile
1090
CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.
The University of Texas Permian Basin has a focused set of ranked programs. Only 1 bachelor's program has an Azimuth national rank, and it is the one that awards the most degrees.
Communication and Media Studies awards 34 degrees a year. Four years after completion, those graduates earn a median of $60,805.
Azimuth ranks the program #20 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, and #1 in Texas. The program's median earnings are 1.08x the national median for the field.
With 20.7% of degrees awarded in STEM, the university's program mix leans toward fields where the earnings picture is more moderate.
The University of Texas Permian Basin has 1 nationally ranked bachelor's program among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it is the one that dominates the degree count. Business accounts for 20.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Psychology at 13.0% and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 9.4%.
The single ranked program, Communication and Media Studies, is also the largest program with published earnings by degrees awarded, at 34 a year. Azimuth ranks it #20 nationally within its field and #1 in Texas.
With only one program carrying a national rank and earnings data, the picture is narrow. A student whose interest falls outside this field will need to weigh the university's overall return and affordability figures more heavily than its program-level metrics.
The University of Texas Permian Basin awards bachelor's degrees across a handful of fields, with Business leading at 20.8% of degrees awarded. Psychology follows at 13.0%, and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies accounts for 9.4%.
The university has 1 program with an Azimuth national rank and 1 with published four-year earnings data. The largest program with published earnings is Communication and Media Studies, at 34 degrees awarded a year.
Azimuth ranks it #1 in Texas within its field. That same program is also the highest-earning, with graduates reporting a median of $60,805 four years after completion.
Its earnings sit at 1.08x the national median for the field. Across all fields, 20.7% of degrees awarded are in STEM.
One program holds the university's state rank, its highest earnings, and the most degrees awarded. Its median earnings exceed the national benchmark for the field.
05 / The University of Texas Permian Basin briefing
How does The University of Texas Permian Basin serve students from different backgrounds?
At The University of Texas Permian Basin, modeled earnings are above expectations, but six-year completion is lower for Pell recipients than for the overall first-time full-time cohort. Within six years, the graduation rate is 39.7% for that overall cohort and 30.8% for Pell recipients, who finish below the overall rate by 8.9 percentage points.
Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 51st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,039 more than the model expects for similar students.
Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 83rd percentile. The return signal is stronger than the completion figures.
At The University of Texas Permian Basin, admission is broad, with an admission rate of 94.9%. Undergraduate enrollment is 3,911; the Pell share, the share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants, is 38.7%, and an estimated 51.4% enter as transfers or part-time students.
Azimuth places the access pillar in the 59th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These measures describe entry routes at a public university in Odessa, Texas.
06 / The University of Texas Permian Basin briefing
Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.
A shortlist for different decisions
Choose a row to compare the figures with The University of Texas Permian Basin.
Admissions peerUniversity of the Incarnate Word98.1% admitted+
Comparison with The University of Texas Permian Basin
Measure
The University of Texas Permian Basin
University of the Incarnate Word
Peer earnings · 4 years
$63,864
$63,004-$860 vs The University of Texas Permian Basin
Average annual net price
$12,723
$22,775+$10,052 vs The University of Texas Permian Basin · higher cost
Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.
Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.
Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.
Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.
Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.
Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.
Source fields: ADM_RATE
Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.
Source fields: C150_4
Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.
Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR
Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.
Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN
National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.
Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.
Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV
Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.
Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.
Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.
First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.
Source fields: RET_FT4
Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.
Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.
Source fields: PCTPELL
Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.
Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF
Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.
Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR