More selective than 41% 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 $34,504. College Scorecard.
Higher than 41% of Texas colleges we cover and 27% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 35% of Texas colleges we cover and 29% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SAGU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 615 applicants, Nelson University admitted 518 and 286 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1090 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SAGU 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 SAGU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Nelson 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 | $17,583 | $76,134 | 6.0 years |
| $30–48k | $18,396 | $79,655 | 6.3 years |
| $48–75k | $21,731 | $94,095 | 7.4 years |
| $75–110k | $23,883 | $103,413 | 8.1 years |
| $110k+ | $25,474 | $110,302 | 8.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (30% 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 ($46,238) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,722 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.
SAGU majors, earnings & careers
Nelson University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Business & Finance · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Science & Math · 1
Highest-earning majors at SAGU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | $66,477 | — |
| Business Administration | $52,229 | $27,000 |
| Education | $50,491 | $27,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $47,277 | $29,875 |
| Bible Studies | $43,808 | $30,875 |
| Criminal Justice | $43,110 | — |
| Pastoral Counseling / Ministry | $39,707 | $26,750 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting—
- Bible Studies$43,808
- Business—
- Business Administration$52,229
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Communications—
- Communications Technologies / Technicians and Support Services, Other—
- Criminal Justice$43,110
- Criminology—
- Education$50,491
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Film and Photography—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources—
- Human Services—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$47,277
- Marketing$66,477
- Mathematics—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Music—
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry$39,707
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Religious Education—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Social Work—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Theology and Religious Vocations, Other—
— 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 →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
Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Dallas
Overall prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,807. Housing costs 18% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 41 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Ellis County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ellis County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SAGU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson University | 89% | $21,662 | 42% | $46,238 | This school |
| Schreiner University | 88% | $21,507 | 43% | $52,228 | |
| Hardin-Simmons University | 90% | $19,555 | 46% | $54,771 | |
| Concordia University Texas | 91% | $23,131 | 45% | $60,883 | |
| Texas Lutheran University | 96% | $24,654 | 54% | $53,863 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Nelson University would cost you $155 more per year than Schreiner University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Nelson University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$14,202).
- Schreiner University gives aided families $13,655 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | SAGU | Schreiner University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $25,064 | $39,266 | −$14,202 |
| Books & supplies | $1,406 | $50 | +$1,356 |
| Housing & meals | $9,050 | $10,407 | −$1,357 |
| Personal & travel | $6,194 | $1,575 | +$4,619 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$7,210 | −$3,294 | −$3,916 |
| Sticker price | $34,504 | $48,004 | −$13,500 |
| Average grants | −$12,842 | −$26,497 | +$13,655 |
| You pay | $21,662 | $21,507 | +$155 |
“+” means SAGU 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 SAGU
What is the SAGU acceptance rate?
Nelson University accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 518 of 615 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 890–1090 on the SAT.
How much does Nelson University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,504 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,662 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,583 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,474.
How much do SAGU graduates earn?
Former Nelson University students earn a median $46,238 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SAGU graduation rate?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year.
How long does a SAGU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Nelson University costs about $94,095 after grants ($21,731 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $46,238 ten years after starting, $12,722 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 7.4 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: “Nelson University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/nelson-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).