Tarleton State University tuition, cost & net price

The sticker price at Tarleton State University is $24,100 a year for Texas residents. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,783 on average, and what your family pays depends mostly on income. Choose yours below.

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Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

What your family pays
$20,783 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $24,100. College Scorecard.

Net price by family income

Average after grants and scholarships for Texas residents receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year

Sticker price, line by line

Per year, living on campusIn-stateOut-of-state
Tuition & fees$8,302$18,142
Housing & meals$10,846$10,846
Books & supplies$1,560$1,560
Personal & travel$3,816$3,816
Living-at-home adjustment−$424−$424
Total cost of attendance$24,100$33,940

Cost items: IPEDS 2023-24, on-campus budget. Total: College Scorecard, which averages students living on and off campus; the adjustment row reconciles the two. Out-of-state total = in-state total with out-of-state tuition.

Debt after graduation

Median federal loan debt$13,989
Loan default rate7.2%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort
Debt as a share of earnings 10 years out26%

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Who gets aid

Students with Pell Grants34%Federal grants for lower-income students
Grants for the average aided student$3,317Sticker price minus average net price

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)

College Scorecard

Need-based and merit aid at TSU

What TSU reported for full-time first-year students in fall 2025. Merit aid is the money net price averages miss for families who don't qualify for need-based aid.

If you qualify for need-based aid

Share of need met, on average62%Of students awarded need-based aid; excludes parent and unsubsidized loans
Students with need who had all of it met5%94 of 1,785
Average need-based grant$12,992
Average aid package$15,012Grants, work-study and need-based loans

If you don't qualify for need-based aid

Average merit scholarship from the college$0Students with no financial need; excludes athletic awards and tuition benefits
Students without need who got one0first-year students

Items H2-H2A. Common Data Set 2025-26 (fall 2025 first-year students), published by the college.

TSU net price compared with other Texas colleges

TSU has the 68th-lowest average net price of 96 Texas colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAvg. net priceGraduationEarnings, 10 yrs
64Huston-Tillotson University$19,71934%$42,937
65The University of Texas at Austin$19,85789%$75,121
66Wayland Baptist University$20,59019%$51,838
67Houston Christian University$20,62949%$55,933
68Tarleton State University$20,78348%$53,040
69Austin College$21,10767%$61,296
70St. Mary's University$21,14559%$56,955
71Texas A&M University-College Station$21,31584%$72,097
72Schreiner University$21,50743%$52,228

College Scorecard, latest year. Average for all aided students; your price depends on income. All Texas colleges →

Why TSU costs more or less than similar schools

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Tarleton State University90%$20,78348%$53,040This school
University of Houston-Downtown90%$10,54233%$53,551
East Texas A&M University92%$11,84143%$50,296
Texas Woman's University96%$11,96349%$56,544
Stephen F Austin State University94%$14,26053%$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 residentTSUUniversity of Houston-DowntownDifference
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.

TSU cost questions

How much is tuition at TSU?

Tuition and fees are $8,302 a year for Texas residents and $18,142 for out-of-state students.

What is the total cost of attending TSU?

The total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books and personal costs, is $24,100 a year for Texas residents living on campus and about $33,940 for out-of-state students.

What do families actually pay at TSU?

After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,783 a year on average. Families earning $0–30k pay $15,574; $48–75k pay $20,396; $110k+ pay $24,076. These figures are for Texas residents.

Does TSU give merit scholarships?

For fall 2025, 0 full-time first-year students with no financial need received merit scholarships or grants from Tarleton State University, averaging $0 (Common Data Set 2025-26, excluding athletic awards). Students with need had 62% of it met on average.

How much debt do TSU graduates have?

The median federal loan debt at graduation is $13,989, and 7.2% of borrowers defaulted within three years of entering repayment (2017 cohort).

Is TSU the right fit for your family?

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By). Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote; confirm with the school's net price calculator. Back to Tarleton State University overview