Private nonprofit · University

Houston Christian University

Houston, Texas · Large city

84.4%
Admit rate
$20,629
Avg net price
49%
Graduation rate
$55,933
Median earnings

Houston Christian University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Houston, Texas (large city setting), enrolling 2,886 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Baptist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,886 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 84% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Southland Conference

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Houston Christian University's admitted students.

Admit rate
84.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
990–1190
Avg GPA (est.)
3.12

Enter a test score to see where you land against Houston Christian University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Houston Christian University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Houston, Texas

Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. However, the land then remained largely uninhabited from the late 1700s until settlement in the 1830s. Located in the American South, Houston is a diverse city with a large and growing international community. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
10 miles to Houston, TX
To the ocean
27 miles
Nearest airport
15 miles to William P. Hobby (HOU) · major hub

How Houston Christian University compares

Selectivity84.4%

More selective than 36% · #39 most selective of 77 in Texas

SAT average1084

Higher than 24%

Graduation rate49%

Higher than 38% · #43 of 87 in Texas

First-year retention69%

Higher than 29%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,933

Higher than 57% · #41 of 94 in Texas

Average net price$20,629

Cheaper than 47% · #53 cheapest of 88 in Texas

Median debt at graduation$22,642

Lower than 55%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 18%

Undergraduate enrollment2,886

Larger than 68%

Percentiles compare Houston Christian University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Texas.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

4,263students
  • Undergraduate2,88668%
  • Graduate1,37732%

Undergraduates by gender

2,886undergrads
  • Women1,86465%
  • Men1,02235%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White16%
  • Black24%
  • Hispanic39%
  • Asian5.5%
  • Other or multiracial16%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,886
Graduate enrollment
1,377
Student–faculty ratio
18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
56%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
14%
Median family income
$38,544
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$74,313
Endowment
$137,983,692

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 729 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Texas93%
  • Other U.S. states5.1%
  • International2.3%

Most first-years stay in state — Houston Christian University draws overwhelmingly from Texas.

2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
84.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
990–1190
SAT average
1084
SAT reading
500–600
SAT math
490–590
ACT composite
17–24
Average GPA (estimated)
3.12

Cost

In-state tuition
$39,430
Room & board
$12,928
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$50,082
Average net price
$20,629

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
49%
Graduated on time (4 years)
38%
First-year retention
69%
Transferred to another college
35%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$44,595
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,933
Median debt at graduation
$22,642
Students with federal loans
59%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
51%

About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
38%
Low-income (Pell)
39%
First-generation
37%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,032
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
36%
Housing charge (year)
$5,750
Meal plan (year)
$4,680
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Southland Conference
Varsity athletes
460 (280 men · 180 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)140
Football119
Soccer56
Baseball41
Basketball29
Softball21
Beach Volleyball19
Volleyball18
Golf17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
4
Property offenses (2022–2024)
29

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (4,276 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

11reported offenses a year
1.3 violent a year9.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
7.3
Motor vehicle theft
2.3
Fondling
0.7
Rape
0.3
Aggravated assault
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$17,933
$30–48k
$18,998
$48–75k
$19,803
$75–110k
$24,079
$110k+
$28,640

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$85,840

$19,803/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$21,663
average award, among those who get one

Houston Christian University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $21,663. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 684 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$55,933
Typical debt at graduation
$22,642
Debt vs. one year's pay
40%
Out-earn a HS grad
64%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$54,906
Men
$58,206

Men out-earn women by $3,300 (6%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
95°F
Winter low
45°F
Annual rain
49.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
40°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Houston Sugarland Mem, TX US station (9.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Houston Christian University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Houston Christian University side by side →

Colleges near Houston Christian University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.