More selective than 16% 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 $50,002. College Scorecard.
Higher than 70% of Texas colleges we cover and 50% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 57% of Texas colleges we cover and 52% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
TLU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,554 applicants, Texas Lutheran University admitted 1,473 and 288 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
TLU 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 TLU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Texas Lutheran University took 4.5 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 | $20,512 | $91,278 | 4.5 years |
| $30–48k | $22,843 | $101,651 | 5.0 years |
| $48–75k | $24,243 | $107,881 | 5.3 years |
| $75–110k | $24,555 | $109,270 | 5.4 years |
| $110k+ | $28,596 | $127,252 | 6.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (34% 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 ($53,863) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,347 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.
TLU majors, earnings & careers
Texas Lutheran University offers 31 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Business & Finance · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at TLU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $78,092 | $23,528 |
| Business Administration | $68,991 | $26,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $58,187 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $56,391 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 31 majors
- Accounting—
- Air Transportation—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$68,991
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer Science—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$58,187
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- History—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$56,391
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,092
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
— 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
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
Living in San Antonio
Overall prices in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,441. Housing costs 5% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 34 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Guadalupe County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Guadalupe County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare TLU 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 Lutheran University | 96% | $24,654 | 54% | $53,863 | This school |
| St. Mary's University | 98% | $21,145 | 59% | $56,955 | |
| Hardin-Simmons University | 90% | $19,555 | 46% | $54,771 | |
| Concordia University Texas | 91% | $23,131 | 45% | $60,883 | |
| University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | 96% | $26,106 | 49% | $56,132 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Texas Lutheran University would cost you $3,509 more per year than St. Mary's University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Texas Lutheran University, mostly from more St. Mary's University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$2,797).
- St. Mary's University gives aided families $1,506 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | TLU | St. Mary's University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $36,230 | $37,434 | −$1,204 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,300 | −$300 |
| Housing & meals | $11,880 | $11,720 | +$160 |
| Personal & travel | $3,650 | $3,100 | +$550 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,758 | −$5,555 | +$2,797 |
| Sticker price | $50,002 | $47,999 | +$2,003 |
| Average grants | −$25,348 | −$26,854 | +$1,506 |
| You pay | $24,654 | $21,145 | +$3,509 |
“+” means TLU 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 TLU
What is the TLU acceptance rate?
Texas Lutheran University accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,473 of 1,554 applicants were admitted.
How much does Texas Lutheran University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $50,002 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $24,654 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $20,512 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,596.
How much do TLU graduates earn?
Former Texas Lutheran University students earn a median $53,863 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the TLU graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 62% return for their second year.
How long does a TLU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Texas Lutheran University costs about $107,881 after grants ($24,243 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $53,863 ten years after starting, $20,347 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 5.3 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 Lutheran University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/texas-lutheran-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).