Private nonprofit · University

Howard Payne University

Brownwood, Texas · Remote town

67.4%
Admit rate
$23,627
Avg net price
28%
Graduation rate
$48,376
Median earnings

Howard Payne University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Brownwood, Texas (remote town setting), enrolling 713 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Baptist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 713 undergradsRemote townAccessible · 67% admitNCAA Division III with football · American Southwest ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Howard Payne University's admitted students.

Admit rate
67.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
880–1160
Avg GPA (est.)
3.00

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

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

About Brownwood, Texas

Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The original site of the Brown County seat of Brownwood was east of Pecan Bayou. A dispute arose over land and water rights, and the settlers were forced to find a new location. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
109 miles to Waco, TX
To the ocean
249 miles
Nearest airport
63 miles to Abilene (ABI)

How Howard Payne University compares

Selectivity67.4%

More selective than 68% · #27 most selective of 77 in Texas

SAT average1026

Higher than 11%

Graduation rate28%

Higher than 10% · #75 of 87 in Texas

First-year retention52%

Higher than 7%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,376

Higher than 34% · #70 of 94 in Texas

Average net price$23,627

Cheaper than 33% · #67 cheapest of 88 in Texas

Median debt at graduation$26,793

Lower than 19%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment713

Larger than 28%

Percentiles compare Howard Payne 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

771students
  • Undergraduate71392%
  • Graduate588%

Undergraduates by gender

713undergrads
  • Women27939%
  • Men43461%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White50%
  • Black9.7%
  • Hispanic30%
  • Asian0.6%
  • Other or multiracial11%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
713
Graduate enrollment
58
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
44%
First-generation students
37%
Students over 25
9%
Median family income
$48,182
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$61,578
Endowment
$91,288,222

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

Admissions

Admission rate
67.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
880–1160
SAT average
1026
SAT reading
440–610
SAT math
440–550
ACT composite
16–27
Average GPA (estimated)
3.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$34,982
Room & board
$10,200
Books & supplies
$1,500
Total cost of attendance
$46,766
Average net price
$23,627

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)
28%
Graduated on time (4 years)
21%
First-year retention
52%
Transferred to another college
49%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$38,212
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,376
Median debt at graduation
$26,793
Students with federal loans
69%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
48%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
21%
Low-income (Pell)
31%
First-generation
29%

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
701
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
98%
Housing charge (year)
$3,900
Meal plan (year)
$6,174
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
American Southwest Conference
Varsity athletes
349 (247 men · 102 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 (8)

Football135
Soccer55
Basketball43
Baseball42
Softball22
Volleyball20
Golf17
Tennis15

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
1
Property offenses (2022–2024)
2

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (809 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.

1.0reported offenses a year
0.3 violent a year0.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
0.7
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
$24,043
$30–48k
$21,423
$48–75k
$25,917
$75–110k
$23,412
$110k+
$24,182

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
$112,810

$25,917/year × about 4.4 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.

91%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$13,800
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 91% — get grant money from Howard Payne University itself, averaging $13,800, which softens the sticker price.

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 208 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)
$48,376
Typical debt at graduation
$26,793
Debt vs. one year's pay
55%
Out-earn a HS grad
59%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.5 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
$45,007
Men
$52,330

Men out-earn women by $7,323 (16%) 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
97°F
Winter low
32°F
Annual rain
30.6″
Annual snow
1.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°70°110°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Brownwood 2Ene, TX US station (2.8 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 Howard Payne University

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

Colleges near Howard Payne 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.