More selective than 38% 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 $24,100. College Scorecard.
Higher than 56% of Texas colleges we cover and 39% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 54% of Texas colleges we cover and 49% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
TSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 8,746 applicants, Tarleton State University admitted 8,239 and 2,702 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1160 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
TSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Texas residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, 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 may receive a TEXAS Grant at Texas public universities; amounts are set each year and vary by college. Not included in the prices above. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (College for All Texans)
What TSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Tarleton State University took 4.4 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 | $15,574 | $68,681 | 3.5 years |
| $30–48k | $16,980 | $74,882 | 3.8 years |
| $48–75k | $20,396 | $89,946 | 4.6 years |
| $75–110k | $23,466 | $103,485 | 5.3 years |
| $110k+ | $24,076 | $106,175 | 5.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (35% 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 ($53,040) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,524 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.
TSU majors, earnings & careers
Tarleton State University offers 69 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 17
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Business & Finance · 9
- Engineering · 8
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at TSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $102,423 | — |
| Nursing | $89,677 | $26,000 |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $87,678 | $25,750 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $81,042 | $23,056 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $77,044 | $21,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $76,980 | $24,634 |
| Accounting | $68,031 | $25,000 |
| Business | $66,572 | $20,896 |
Quick list of all 69 majors
- Accounting$68,031
- Agricultural Business$54,993
- Agricultural Mechanization—
- Agricultural Public Services—
- Agriculture—
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Animal Sciences$43,185
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Biology$47,795
- Biotechnology—
- Business$66,572
- Business Administration$63,969
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Communications$50,385
- Computer and Information Sciences$76,980
- Computer Science$102,423
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Criminal Justice$53,821
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$45,834
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$51,226
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Finance—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History$50,385
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources$54,613
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$87,678
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$52,999
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Legal Support Services—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$44,106
- Marketing$57,478
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$77,044
- Medical Laboratory Science$81,042
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$53,503
- Music$56,671
- Nursing$89,677
- Nutrition Science—
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences—
- Political Science$59,542
- Psychology$47,699
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Social Work$50,275
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$43,665
- Theatre—
- Veterinary / Animal Health Technologies / Technicians—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management—
- Zoology / Animal Biology$54,030
— 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 Stephenville
2 bedrooms $1,260.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 34 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Erath County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Erath County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare TSU with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarleton State University | 90% | $20,783 | 48% | $53,040 | This school |
| University of Houston-Downtown | 90% | $10,542 | 33% | $53,551 | |
| East Texas A&M University | 92% | $11,841 | 43% | $50,296 | |
| Texas Woman's University | 96% | $11,963 | 49% | $56,544 | |
| Stephen F Austin State University | 94% | $14,260 | 53% | $49,634 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Tarleton State University would cost you $10,241 more per year than University of Houston-Downtown, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Tarleton State University.
- University of Houston-Downtown gives aided families $6,890 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | TSU | University of Houston-Downtown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $24,100 | $20,749 | +$3,351 |
| Average grants | −$3,317 | −$10,207 | +$6,890 |
| You pay | $20,783 | $10,542 | +$10,241 |
“+” means TSU 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 TSU
What is the TSU acceptance rate?
Tarleton State University accepts 90% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,239 of 8,746 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1160 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
How much does Tarleton State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,100 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,783 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,574 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,076.
How much do TSU graduates earn?
Former Tarleton State University students earn a median $53,040 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the TSU graduation rate?
48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 70% return for their second year.
How long does a TSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Tarleton State University costs about $89,946 after grants ($20,396 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $53,040 ten years after starting, $19,524 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.6 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: “Tarleton State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/tarleton-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).