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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Houston-Downtown Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-houston-downtown/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-houston-downtown/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-houston-downtown/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-houston-downtown/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-houston-downtown/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does UH Downtown cost after financial aid?

The University of Houston-Downtown, a public university in Houston, Texas, serves 12,555 undergraduates. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported sticker charges for the 2025-26 academic year of $7,433 in-state tuition, $19,583 out-of-state tuition, and $1,456 in required fees.

Estimated books and supplies run $660, transportation $3,016, and other expenses $4,674. The federal published cost of attendance is $20,749.

For the average aid recipient, the [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) falls to $10,542, a reduction of $10,207 from the sticker total. That average net price is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,092.

Azimuth ranks the university #110 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

A median federal debt of $18,750 for completers who borrowed at University of Houston-Downtown comes in $1,326 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) of $20,076. Aid recipients face an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $10,542, a figure $5,092 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The affordability pillar lands in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Average net prices for the lowest-income band are $9,439; for the highest-income band, they are $19,380.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band: under $30,000, $9,439; $30,001–$48,000, $10,048; $48,001–$75,000, $11,247; $75,001–$110,000, $15,488; and over $110,000, $19,380. Pell Grant recipients make up 55.2% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,941.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$9,439

**$30–48K**
$10,048

**$48–75K**
$11,247

**$75–110K**
$15,488

**$110K+**
$19,380

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$10,542**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

55.2% of undergraduates at University of Houston-Downtown receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that accompanies the university's pricing structure. The average aid recipient pays $10,542, after aid offsets roughly 49% of the $20,749 sticker price, or $10,207 on average.

By income band, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s are $9,439 for families earning under $30,000, $10,048 for $30,001–$48,000, $11,247 for $48,001–$75,000, $15,488 for $75,001–$110,000, and $19,380 for those earning over $110,000. The $9,941 spread between the lowest and highest bands coincides with lower out-of-pocket costs for lower-income families.

The published cost of attendance at University of Houston-Downtown is $20,749. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $9,439; for those in the $48,001–$75,000 band, it is $11,247; and for families earning over $110,000, it is $19,380.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,941. Azimuth ranks the university #110 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average offset of $10,207. The average net price across all aid recipients is $10,542, which is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,092.

The median federal student loan debt at completion is $18,750, with about 62.8% of federal aid recipients borrowing. That median is below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions by $1,326.

The median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $10,000. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $213 a month if repaid over ten years.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

About 62.8% of federal aid recipients at University of Houston-Downtown take federal student loans, and among borrowers who complete a degree the median federal debt is $18,750. That median runs below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $1,326.

For parent borrowers, a separate population, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan is $10,000. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 36% of the 506 bachelor's graduates in the cohort borrowed from any source.

The average cumulative principal per borrower was $18,808. Federal loans accounted for most of that borrowing: 35% of graduates held federal debt, averaging $18,184, including 2% who also held private loans, averaging $27,973.

Four years after completing a degree at University of Houston-Downtown, the median earnings among working graduates who are not enrolled are $60,550. That figure is at the 53rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That median sits below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $8,642 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that places the university in the 80th percentile nationally.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the university's program mix range from $50,385 in a downside case to $70,901 in an upside case, with a typical scenario of $60,550. On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $18,750, which is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $213.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $10,000. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $213.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$10,000

**Estimated parent payment**
$127/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 7.5% | Caution |
| $100,000 | 3.4% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 1.6% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.0% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=university-of-houston-downtown#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$18,750

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$10,000

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$213/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$127/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$340/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $60,550, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.0%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=university-of-houston-downtown#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

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. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.