More selective than 87% 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 $76,604. College Scorecard.
Higher than 97% of Texas colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 90% of Texas colleges we cover and 84% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
TCU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 20,517 applicants, Texas Christian University admitted 8,740 and 2,488 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1140–1350 on the SAT or 26–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
TCU 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 TCU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Texas Christian University took 4.2 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 | $17,956 | $74,517 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $16,980 | $70,467 | 2.0 years |
| $48–75k | $17,940 | $74,451 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $34,990 | $145,209 | 4.2 years |
| $110k+ | $53,450 | $221,818 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (74% 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 ($68,424) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $34,908 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.
TCU majors, earnings & careers
Texas Christian University offers 67 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Education · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Engineering · 2
Highest-earning majors at TCU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysis | $121,734 | $20,750 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $114,822 | — |
| Finance | $111,304 | $19,500 |
| Business Administration | $106,765 | $25,000 |
| Real Estate | $103,547 | $24,282 |
| Accounting | $101,938 | $17,778 |
| Marketing | $97,148 | $19,250 |
| Engineering | $93,753 | $22,944 |
Quick list of all 67 majors
- Accounting$101,938
- Agricultural Business—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$63,572
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$61,636
- Business Administration$106,765
- Chemistry—
- Communications$63,531
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Systems Analysis$121,734
- Criminal Justice$56,791
- Dance—
- Dietetics—
- Economics$89,466
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$60,125
- Education (Subject Teaching)$61,004
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering$93,753
- English$64,885
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$111,304
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$68,313
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Relations—
- Journalism$58,738
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$51,292
- Management Science / Analytics$114,822
- Marketing$97,148
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education$70,026
- Music—
- Natural Sciences—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$89,690
- Nutrition Science—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$75,419
- Psychology$65,356
- Psychology (Research)$61,190
- Public Relations and Advertising$71,186
- Real Estate$103,547
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$65,536
- Sociology$62,392
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations$66,108
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$69,730
- Studio Art—
- Theatre$42,483
- 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
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% 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 $1,745. Housing costs 18% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Tarrant County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Tarrant County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare TCU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Christian University | 44% | $36,660 | 86% | $68,424 | This school |
| Baylor University | 51% | $41,104 | 80% | $65,793 | |
| Southern Methodist University | 63% | $40,892 | 84% | $78,354 | |
| Southwestern University | 43% | $29,224 | 73% | $56,878 | |
| Austin College | 48% | $21,107 | 67% | $61,296 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Texas Christian University would cost you $4,444 less per year than Baylor University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Texas Christian University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$3,640).
- Texas Christian University gives aided families $6,822 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | TCU | Baylor University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $61,740 | $58,100 | +$3,640 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $1,438 | −$638 |
| Housing & meals | $14,800 | $14,235 | +$565 |
| Personal & travel | $4,240 | $3,752 | +$488 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,976 | −$3,299 | −$1,677 |
| Sticker price | $76,604 | $74,226 | +$2,378 |
| Average grants | −$39,944 | −$33,122 | −$6,822 |
| You pay | $36,660 | $41,104 | −$4,444 |
“+” means TCU 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 TCU
What is the TCU acceptance rate?
Texas Christian University accepts 44% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,740 of 20,517 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1140–1350 on the SAT or 26–31 on the ACT.
How much does Texas Christian University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $76,604 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $36,660 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,956 and families earning $110k+ pay $53,450.
How much do TCU graduates earn?
Former Texas Christian University students earn a median $68,424 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the TCU graduation rate?
86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
How long does a TCU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Texas Christian University costs about $74,451 after grants ($17,940 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $68,424 ten years after starting, $34,908 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 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: “Texas Christian University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/texas-christian-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).