More selective than 51% of Texas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $50,082. College Scorecard.
Higher than 58% of Texas colleges we cover and 41% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 65% of Texas colleges we cover and 59% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
HCU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,021 applicants, Houston Christian University admitted 7,681 and 729 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1190 on the SAT or 17–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
HCU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Texas residents with financial need attending eligible private nonprofit Texas colleges may receive a Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG); amounts are set each year. Not included in the prices above. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (College for All Texans)
What HCU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Houston Christian University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Texas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,933 | $76,395 | 3.4 years |
| $30–48k | $18,998 | $80,931 | 3.6 years |
| $48–75k | $19,803 | $84,361 | 3.8 years |
| $75–110k | $24,079 | $102,577 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $28,640 | $122,006 | 5.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (37% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($55,933) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,417 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
HCU majors, earnings & careers
Houston Christian University offers 47 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Business & Finance · 5
- Education · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at HCU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $93,475 | $25,394 |
| Marketing | $68,490 | — |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | $54,696 | $31,000 |
| Business Administration | $53,464 | $23,500 |
| Psychology | $53,021 | $25,500 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $45,718 | $21,000 |
Quick list of all 47 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Bible Studies—
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$53,464
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering—
- English—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies$54,696
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$45,718
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing$68,490
- Mathematics—
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Music—
- Nursing$93,475
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$53,021
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Houston
Overall prices in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,497. Housing costs 5% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 56 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); tornado (very high); river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (very high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Harris County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Harris County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare HCU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Texas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Christian University | 84% | $20,629 | 49% | $55,933 | This school |
| University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | 96% | $26,106 | 49% | $56,132 | |
| Dallas Baptist University | 89% | $28,516 | 57% | $56,807 | |
| Saint Edward's University | 81% | $25,578 | 63% | $58,826 | |
| Hardin-Simmons University | 90% | $19,555 | 46% | $54,771 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Houston Christian University would cost you $5,477 less per year than University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Houston Christian University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$7,410).
- Houston Christian University gives aided families $8,685 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | HCU | UMHB | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $39,430 | $32,020 | +$7,410 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,300 | −$300 |
| Housing & meals | $10,816 | $10,720 | +$96 |
| Personal & travel | $5,202 | $3,030 | +$2,172 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$6,366 | −$196 | −$6,170 |
| Sticker price | $50,082 | $46,874 | +$3,208 |
| Average grants | −$29,453 | −$20,768 | −$8,685 |
| You pay | $20,629 | $26,106 | −$5,477 |
“+” means HCU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about HCU
What is the HCU acceptance rate?
Houston Christian University accepts 84% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,681 of 9,021 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1190 on the SAT or 17–24 on the ACT.
How much does Houston Christian University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $50,082 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,629 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,933 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,640.
How much do HCU graduates earn?
Former Houston Christian University students earn a median $55,933 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the HCU graduation rate?
49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 69% return for their second year.
How long does a HCU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Houston Christian University costs about $84,361 after grants ($19,803 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,933 ten years after starting, $22,417 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.8 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Houston Christian University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/houston-christian-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).