Here are the most affordable colleges and universities in Texas. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you, at a price you can afford.
Texas has so many advantages for college students and those pursuing graduate programs. With diverse cities and dynamic college towns that all feature a low cost of living, the state’s university system is comprised of more than 240 colleges and universities, allowing students to access different institutions, including some of the US’ most affordable colleges.
Texas takes pride in a relatively low cost of living, meaning college education is not as expensive as in other parts of the US. There are so many affordable colleges in Texas for undergrads and graduate students. However, even though education cost is low both for on-campus and online programs as compared to other states, there are still numerous financial aid and scholarship opportunities in the state.
Austin Board of REALTORS Scholarship This scholarship was established in 1978 by the Austin Board of Realtors and supported the Central Texas community through its annual scholarship programs. Open to all high school seniors residing in one of ABoR’s 18-county MLS service areas and planning to attend a Texas college, university, or accredited technical school, the scholarship grants $2,000 to every qualified student.
Caleb Tripp Thornton Memorial Scholarship In 2018, Caleb Thornton tragically passed away in a car accident in Humble, Texas. The cause of the accident was driving under the influence and speeding.
His sister, Kristi Thornton, was supposed to run the Chevron Houston Marathon a week after the crash. After losing her brother, she deferred her run until a year after. Instead of running 26 miles, she asked 26 random people to complete an Act of Kindness in her brother’s honor. Since then, the number has multiplied, and friends and family across the US continue to complete the Act of Kindness.
The Caleb Tripp Thornton Memorial Scholarship is available for $2,600 to high school seniors.
Terry Foundation Freshmen Scholarship This scholarship is awarded to eligible Texas high school seniors planning on attending Terry-affiliated universities. The amount varies by student, although the scholarship committee considers the candidate’s financial needs and other awarded scholarships to assess the award amount.
Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG) Program This program was designed to provide additional financial assistance to students enrolled in a public two-year college in Texas. To qualify, students must currently be attending or have attended a high school in the Houston area. The scholarship amount can be as high as $5,862.
Association of Texas Leaders for Education Scholarship Eligible students for this scholarship are awarded $1,000 each. The ATLE scholarship is open for Texas resident graduating seniors who will attend a Texas school to pursue a secondary education.
Education First Scholarship Established by the Education First Credit Union, this scholarship aims to help students to earn a higher education without taking out student loans. Qualified students are awarded $1,000 each. To qualify, applicants must be high school seniors in Tyler, Orange, Newton, Jefferson, Jasper, and Hardin counties.
NIADA Foundation Scholarship The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) established NIADA Foundation in 2006. The goal is to promote educational and academic advancement and to meet charitable needs within the used automobile community. NIADA awards $3,500 to four students who show exceptional achievement in service, education, and leadership. Student scholars must be residents of one of the foundation’s four regions.
Zeta Phi Beta Stork’s Nest Scholarship GED Students and high school seniors who completed the Stork’s Nest Education Program are qualified to apply for the Zeta Phi Beta Stork – Nest Scholarship in Texas. This scholarship is sponsored by the Kappa Zeta Chapter (of Zeta Beta Sorority). Qualified students are awarded $1,500 and are honored at the Miss Blue Revue Ceremony.
LNESC Emergency Scholarship The Macy’s Emergency Scholarship Fund is a partnership between Macy’s and LNESC (Lulac National Educational Service Centers, Inc.). It provides financial assistance to deserving students who are facing economic hardships and need immediate monetary support that, if not met, may result in incomplete classes.
Reasons for receiving this emergency scholarship fund include job loss, unexpected death of an immediate family member, change in family income or support, natural disasters, home foreclosure or pending eviction, fire, or burglary. Recipients receive $500 for this program.
Texas offers more than 30 colleges and universities that serve communities of 10,000 students or more. The largest school in the bunch (and in the nation), Texas A&M University in College Station serves more than 65,000 students. The University of Texas at Austin is the next largest, serving about 45,000 students - but it too has a big claim to fame, as the wealthiest public university in the United States. Texas’s private colleges and universities, including Baylor University and Southern Methodist University, are also impressive in size and scope. The majority of these schools have religious affiliations and offer degrees in a variety fields, such as nursing, religious studies, criminal justice, business, and education.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
For students who prefer a more intimate educational environment, Texas offers a long list of smaller public and private colleges and universities, such as Abilene Christian University and University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Additionally, Texas has generous loan forgiveness programs for qualifying nurses, physicians, teachers, legal aid attorneys, and lawyers who work in the Texas Attorney General’s office.
Texas is known for doing things big. Big cities, big open spaces and, of course, big fun. Whether you’re hitting up the live music scene in Austin, catching a Cowboys game in Dallas, or strolling down the River Walk in San Antonio, you’re sure to have a good time. And, with more than 150 higher education institutes, it’s safe to say The Lone Star State is big on education too.
If you’re looking to earn your degree in the state of Texas, you’ll have plenty of higher learning institutes to choose from.
There are 46 colleges and universities in Texas with stated tuitions and fees under $20,000/year. The following list of the most affordable colleges and universities in Texas is composed entirely of schools offering bachelor’s degree programs, have stated tuition and fees near or under the national average of $16,000/year, and are fully accredited colleges.
These schools are ranked by academic excellence, and all under $20,000/year.
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
88%
Student body
45K
Median SAT/ACT
1340/29
University of Texas at Austin’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
83%
Student body
61K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/29
Texas A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
62%
Student body
39K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/25
University of Houston’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
63%
Student body
36K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/24
Texas Tech University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
72%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1335/29
University of Texas at Dallas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
60%
Student body
36K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/23
University of North Texas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
51%
Student body
37K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/24
University of Texas at Arlington’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
90%
Graduation
51%
Student body
29K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/22
University of Texas at San Antonio’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
100%
Graduation
45%
Student body
20K
University of Texas at El Paso’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
23%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
965/18
Texas Southern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
57%
Student body
32K
Median SAT/ACT
1095/22
Texas State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
57%
Student body
19K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/20
Sam Houston State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
39%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1041/20
Lamar University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
51%
Student body
29K
Median SAT/ACT
987/19
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
42%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
955/18
Prairie View A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
45%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/20
Angelo State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
53%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/21
Stephen F. Austin State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
48%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1091/19
Texas Woman's University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Graduation
18%
Student body
<1K
Texas College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
49%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/17
Texas A&M International University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
42%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1125/23
University of Texas at Tyler’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
53%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/21
University of Houston–Clear Lake’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Graduation
27%
Student body
<1K
Wiley College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
95%
Graduation
47%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/19
Midwestern State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
49%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1030/20
Tarleton State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
46%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1025/20
West Texas A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
100%
Graduation
29%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
948/18
Sul Ross State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
23%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
935/15
Paul Quinn College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
41%
Student body
2K
Brazosport College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
95%
Graduation
30%
Student body
12K
University of Houston–Downtown’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
22%
Student body
8K
Tyler Junior College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
42%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1015/19
University of Texas Permian Basin’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Student body
<1K
Amberton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
43%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/19
Southwestern Assemblies of God University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
42%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1052/20
Texas A&M University–Commerce’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
22%
Student body
3K
Midland College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
22%
Student body
3K
University of Houston–Victoria’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
11%
Student body
<1K
Southwestern Christian College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
26%
Student body
18K
South Texas College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
43%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/19
Texas A&M University–Kingsville’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
33%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
890/15
Huston–Tillotson University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Graduation
37%
Student body
<1K
Jarvis Christian University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
36%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1090/21
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$16K
Graduation
38%
Student body
<1K
Wade College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
24%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1015/20
Texas A&M University–Texarkana’s faculty and alumni have been influential in: