College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of Houston-Clear Lake

TXMedium public institution · Overall rank #151 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth places the university in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

The University of Houston-Clear Lake is a public university in the Houston area whose degree mix is led by Business and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. Mobility is among the highest we track.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that to the factors it measures than to what it cannot explain.

Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study, so the four-year earnings figure captures most completers in the workforce. Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish at a rate well above the entering cohort as a whole, and access is well above average.

The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, and affordability is well above average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and the degree mix is led by Business and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies.

A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones, like Nursing and Computer Engineering, are much smaller.

University of Houston-Clear Lake at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
90.5%
Six-year completion[2]
51.6%
Four-year earnings[3]
$59,865

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$19,458
Median student debt[4]
$17,831
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$14,731

University of Houston-Clear Lake rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

University of Houston-Clear Lake is a public university in Houston, Texas, enrolling 6,078 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The university admits 90.5% of applicants, a rate above the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of first-year full-time students, 74.4% return for a second year, against a typical rate of 73.7% at similar schools.

The six-year graduation rate for the first-time, full-time cohort is 51.6%, compared to a median of 49.1% among peers. An estimated 74.3% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes a minority of the people who study here.

The four sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest pillar and return is the weakest, with access and affordability sitting between them.

University of Houston-Clear Lake’s strongest Azimuth showing is mobility, though return is its weakest pillar. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places mobility in the 91st percentile and affordability in the 83rd percentile. Access stands in the 79th percentile, while return is in the 59th percentile.

45.2% of undergraduates at University of Houston-Clear Lake receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks University of Houston-Clear Lake #307 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at a rate of 69.2%, which is 17.6 percentage points above the overall six-year graduation rate (51.6%). Azimuth ranks the university #130 for mobility. Graduates earn about $5,656 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of Houston-Clear Lake rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#151
Texas#18
South#49

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 91
Access & reach
National percentile: 79
Affordability
National percentile: 83
Return on investment
National percentile: 59

Top-ranked majors

  1. Behavioral Sciences#2
  2. Business/Commerce, General#19
  3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other#25

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of Houston-Clear Lake briefing

University of Houston-Clear Lake cost & financial aid[6][7]

For aid recipients, University of Houston-Clear Lake has an average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $15,563 against a published cost of attendance of $24,622. Published in-state tuition and fees are $7,770, out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,114, and room and board are $12,642.

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported estimated books and supplies of $1,192, transportation of $1,984, and other expenses of $2,470. Average aid savings are $9,059, yet the net price is $1,495 above the peer median of $14,068 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 83rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

At University of Houston-Clear Lake, the published cost of attendance is $24,622, but aid recipients’ prices differ sharply by family income. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $7,330 in the lowest family-income band, $12,470 in the lower-middle band, $19,458 in the middle band, $21,296 in the upper-middle band, and $21,898 in the highest band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $14,568, and Azimuth ranks the university #243 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 37% of the published cost, an average savings of $9,059 against the sticker price.

Across all aid recipients, the is $15,563. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, with the university’s average net price $1,495 above that figure.

Published in-state tuition is $7,770, and out-of-state tuition is $21,114. Borrowing is lower than the comparable-institution median, though federal loans are still part of the cost picture for many undergraduates.

Federal student loan borrowers who completed have median debt of $17,831, and 63.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The peer median debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, placing the university’s median $3,398 below it.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month if repaid over ten years. Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $14,731.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$19,458

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of Houston-Clear Lake

Borrowers who finish at University of Houston-Clear Lake carry a median of $17,831 in federal student loans, $3,398 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). About 63.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,731 in Parent PLUS loans.

At University of Houston-Clear Lake, the investment picture combines above-expected earnings with federal debt below the peer median. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $59,865 four years after completion, placing the university in the 51st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,656 more than the model expects for similar students.

The downside and upside earnings scenarios are $48,618 and $75,554, while the typical scenario matches the observed median. Median federal student loan debt is $17,831, below the $21,229 median at comparable institutions (same type and size), a difference of $3,398.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and lower peer-relative debt point in the same direction.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $14,731. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$17,831
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$14,731

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$203/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$187/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.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of Houston-Clear Lake briefing

University of Houston-Clear Lake career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, University of Houston-Clear Lake has median earnings of $59,865 four years after completion. Azimuth puts that earnings measure in the 51st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, leaving the university $2,564 above that benchmark. Graduates earn about $5,656 more than the model expects for similar students.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, earnings beyond expectations falls in the 73rd percentile. That gap is what graduates earn minus what the model expects for similar students.

The return pillar is in the 59th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,862.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $2,794. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,911.

University of Houston-Clear Lake posts earnings that sit near the middle of the national distribution, with a modeled estimate that graduates exceed expectations. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $59,865 four years after completion; the earnings cohort includes 1,799 completers.

Azimuth places those median earnings in the 51st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, offers a separate view.

Graduates earn about $5,656 more than the model expects for similar students. The typical earnings scenario, based on the program mix, is $59,865.

An estimated 31.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The median earnings result and higher-than-expected earnings give different but compatible views of the outcome picture.

For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, University of Houston-Clear Lake reports median earnings of $59,865 four years after completion, in the 51st percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, with the university above it by $2,564.

Graduates earn about $5,656 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 73rd percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,862. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $2,794.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,911. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from a downside of $48,618 to an upside of $75,554.

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 59th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison and model result point in the same direction.

Nursing leads the listed fields, with 10 degrees awarded and median earnings of $103,991 four years after completion. Among the larger fields, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies awarded 238 degrees and has median earnings of $57,065 at the same point.

The figures show that earnings vary across these fields, including among programs with comparatively large numbers of degrees awarded.

The modeled range at University of Houston-Clear Lake is wide enough that field choice changes the earnings picture. The downside earnings scenario is $48,618, and the upside scenario is $75,554; both are estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups.

University of Houston-Clear Lake pairs lower borrowing with higher-than-expected earnings, though its average net price sits above the peer median. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $17,831, compared with $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size); the university is below that figure by $3,398.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $5,656 more than the model expects for similar students.

This is earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,563, or above the $14,068 peer median by $1,495.

Lower debt and higher-than-expected earnings point one way, while the higher average net price calls for a closer look at aid.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$2,862
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$2,794
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$5,656

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of Houston-Clear Lake briefing

University of Houston-Clear Lake acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

At 90.5%, admission is more common at University of Houston-Clear Lake than at comparable institutions. Its rate is above the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 2,321 first-year applicants and 2,129 admitted applicants.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
90.5%
25th percentile
980
Median
1070
75th percentile
1150

CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of Houston-Clear Lake briefing

What are the largest majors at University of Houston-Clear Lake?[12]

The largest programs at University of Houston-Clear Lake span a wide earnings range. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies awards 238 degrees a year, the most of any program, and its graduates earn a median of $57,065 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #25 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Accounting and Biology sit higher on the earnings scale.

Accounting awards 109 degrees and reports median earnings of $70,134. Biology awards 104 degrees, and its graduates earn $64,555; Azimuth ranks it #80 nationally in its field.

The highest-earning program is a much smaller one. Nursing graduates earn $103,991, but the program awards only 10 degrees a year.

The contrast between the largest program and the best-paid one is sharp, and a student's field of study matters a great deal for earnings here.

University of Houston-Clear Lake has 20 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with earnings data available for 25 fields. The strongest rankings sit in the social and behavioral sciences, where Behavioral Sciences ranks #2 nationally and #1 in Texas.

It awarded 46 degrees and its completers earned a median of $51,151 four years after completion. Criminology also stands out, ranked #35 nationally and #1 in Texas, from 39 degrees a year, and its completers earned a median of $52,087 four years after completion.

Business/Commerce is ranked #19 nationally and #3 in Texas. The largest program is Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, at 238 degrees a year, ranked #25 nationally, and its completers earned a median of $57,065 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $103,991 four years after completion, though it awards only 10 degrees a year.

University of Houston-Clear Lake awards the largest share of its bachelor's degrees in Business, at 25.8% of degrees awarded. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies is the second-largest family at 18.8%, followed by Psychology at 8.1%.

The university has 20 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 25 with published four-year earnings data. The largest program is Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, with 238 degrees awarded a year.

Azimuth ranks it #25 nationally and #7 in Texas within its field. Psychology and Business Administration and Management follow, at 122 and 118 degrees awarded respectively.

The highest-ranked program is Behavioral Sciences, with 46 degrees awarded and median earnings of $51,151 four years after completion. Business/Commerce also places well, ranking #19 nationally and #3 in Texas, with 60 degrees awarded and median earnings of $71,973 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Nursing graduates earn a median of $103,991 four years out, from 10 degrees awarded a year. Computer Engineering follows at $79,710, with 30 degrees awarded, and ranks #131 nationally and #8 in Texas within its field.

The pattern is one of strength spread across several fields rather than concentrated in one. The largest programs are not the highest-earning, and the best-ranked programs sit in the social and behavioral sciences. Across all fields, 21.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 238 degrees awarded
$57,065
Psychology, General 122 degrees awarded
$48,885
Business Administration, Management and Operations 118 degrees awarded
$62,046
Accounting and Related Services 109 degrees awarded
$70,134
Biology, General 104 degrees awarded
$64,555
Business/Commerce, General 60 degrees awarded
$71,973

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / University of Houston-Clear Lake briefing

How does University of Houston-Clear Lake serve students from different backgrounds?

Mobility is the university's strongest measured pillar: Pell recipients complete within six years at 69.2%, above the overall six-year graduation rate of 51.6% by 17.6 percentage points. Azimuth places mobility in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $5,656 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that measure in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

At University of Houston-Clear Lake, entry is relatively open: the admission rate is 90.5%, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 74.3%. Undergraduate enrollment is 6,078 undergraduates, with 45.2% receiving Pell Grants.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, pairing broad entry routes with substantial Pell Grant participation.

06 / University of Houston-Clear Lake briefing

What colleges are similar to University of Houston-Clear Lake?[15]

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 University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Admissions peerLamar University86.4% admitted
Comparison with University of Houston-Clear Lake
MeasureUniversity of Houston-Clear LakeLamar University
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,865$66,816+$6,951 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake
Average annual net price$15,563$9,366-$6,197 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake · lower cost
Admission rate90.5%86.4%
Explore Lamar University →
Nearby alternativePrairie View A & M UniversityNearby option · TX
Comparison with University of Houston-Clear Lake
MeasureUniversity of Houston-Clear LakePrairie View A & M University
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,865$60,602+$737 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake
Average annual net price$15,563$13,570-$1,993 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake · lower cost
Admission rate90.5%79.3%
Explore Prairie View A & M University →
Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings
Comparison with University of Houston-Clear Lake
MeasureUniversity of Houston-Clear LakeSan Jose State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,865$89,614+$29,749 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake
Average annual net price$15,563$13,760-$1,803 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake · lower cost
Admission rate90.5%84.6%
Explore San Jose State University →
Lower-cost alternativeLamar University$9,366 average net price
Comparison with University of Houston-Clear Lake
MeasureUniversity of Houston-Clear LakeLamar University
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,865$66,816+$6,951 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake
Average annual net price$15,563$9,366-$6,197 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake · lower cost
Admission rate90.5%86.4%
Explore Lamar University →
Similar profileNorthwestern State University of LouisianaMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of Houston-Clear Lake
MeasureUniversity of Houston-Clear LakeNorthwestern State University of Louisiana
Peer earnings · 4 years$59,865$56,762-$3,103 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake
Average annual net price$15,563$13,606-$1,957 vs University of Houston-Clear Lake · lower cost
Admission rate90.5%92.5%
Explore Northwestern State University of Louisiana →

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.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

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.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

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.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. 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

  7. 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.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. 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.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. 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.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. 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.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. 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.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. 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

  15. 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

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings