Public · University
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas · Small city
- 89.3%
- Admit rate
- $16,805
- Avg net price
- 55%
- Graduation rate
- $56,906
- Median earnings
Texas State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in San Marcos, Texas (small city setting), enrolling 36,177 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Texas State University's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 89.3%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 980–1200
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.16
Enter a test score to see where you land against Texas State University's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Texas State University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in and the county seat of Hays County, Texas, United States. Archeologists have found evidence at the San Marcos River associated with the Clovis culture, which suggests that the river has been the site of human habitation for more than 10,000 years. The San Marcos Springs are the third-largest collection of springs in Texas. In December 2013, it was named number 9 on the Business Insider list of the "10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America." (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 29 miles to Austin, TX
- To the ocean
- 112 miles
- Nearest airport
- 27 miles to Austin Bergstrom (AUS) · major hub
How Texas State University compares
More selective than 26% · #47 most selective of 77 in Texas
Higher than 32%
Higher than 51% · #26 of 87 in Texas
Higher than 63%
Higher than 59% · #34 of 94 in Texas
Cheaper than 64% · #41 cheapest of 88 in Texas
Lower than 67%
Lower than 8%
Larger than 99%
Percentiles compare Texas State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Texas.
Texas State University campus
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate36,17789%
- Graduate4,43811%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women21,73560%
- Men14,44240%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White36%
- Black9.5%
- Hispanic41%
- Asian2.8%
- Other or multiracial10%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 36,177
- Graduate enrollment
- 4,438
- Student–faculty ratio
- 21 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 37%
- First-generation students
- 36%
- Students over 25
- 8%
- Median family income
- $42,889
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $82,674
- Endowment
- $411,758,097
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 7,930 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Texas97%
- Other U.S. states2.1%
- International1.3%
Most first-years stay in state — Texas State University draws overwhelmingly from Texas.
1% 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
- 89.3%
- Test scores
- Required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 980–1200
- SAT average
- 1103
- SAT reading
- 500–610
- SAT math
- 480–590
- ACT composite
- 19–25
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.16
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $11,450
- Out-of-state tuition
- $22,930
- Room & board
- $12,630
- Books & supplies
- $760
- Total cost of attendance
- $28,073
- Average net price
- $16,805
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)
- 55%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 34%
- First-year retention
- 80%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $46,716
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $56,906
- Median debt at graduation
- $21,000
- Students with federal loans
- 41%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 51%
About 22% 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)
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
- 6,753
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 19%
- Housing charge (year)
- $7,661
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,570
- Application fee
- $75
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I-FBS
- Football conference
- Sun Belt Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 496 (281 men · 215 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)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 3.3 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 256
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 142
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (40,674 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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$13,804/year × about 4.6 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.
Modest institutional aid: 41% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $6,263. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
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 7,307 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)
- $56,906
- Typical debt at graduation
- $21,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 37%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 69%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $9,275 (17%) 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
- 39°F
- Annual rain
- 36.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Marcos, TX US station (0.5 mi from campus).
What Texas State University graduates study — and earn
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 Texas State University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Texas State University side by side →
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia · Small city · 56 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 17,385
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1122
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $56k
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Large city · 3 mi to Milwaukee
- Students
- 16,758
- Admission
- 91%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $55k
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois · Midsize suburb · 34 mi to Peoria
- Students
- 19,057
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1113
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $62k
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan · Fringe town · 11 mi to Grand Rapids
- Students
- 18,854
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1074
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $56k
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, Hawaii · Large city · 3 mi to Honolulu
- Students
- 15,029
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1102
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $58k
Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey · Large suburb · 14 mi to New York
- Students
- 18,376
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1070
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $61k
Colleges near Texas State University
Total Transformation Institute of Cosmetology
San Marcos, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 112 students
William Edge Institute
New Braunfels, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 73 students
Texas Lutheran University
Seguin, TX · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,304 students
Seguin Beauty School-Seguin
Seguin, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 38 students
Southern Careers Institute-Austin
Austin, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 746 students
Avenue Five Institute-South Austin Campus
Austin, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 139 students
Texas Health and Science University
Austin, TX · Private for-profit · Graduate
Saint Edward's University
Austin, TX · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,493 students
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.















