More selective than 30% 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 $24,622. College Scorecard.
Higher than 66% of Texas colleges we cover and 45% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 81% of Texas colleges we cover and 67% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UHCL acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,348 applicants, University of Houston-Clear Lake admitted 1,768 and 439 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1150 on the SAT or 20–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UHCL 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 UHCL costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Houston-Clear Lake took 4.6 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 | $7,330 | $33,791 | 1.3 years |
| $30–48k | $12,470 | $57,487 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $19,458 | $89,701 | 3.5 years |
| $75–110k | $21,296 | $98,175 | 3.9 years |
| $110k+ | $21,898 | $100,950 | 4.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (26% 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 ($59,004) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,488 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.
UHCL majors, earnings & careers
University of Houston-Clear Lake offers 36 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Business & Finance · 6
- Science & Math · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at UHCL
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $103,991 | — |
| Computer Engineering | $79,710 | $22,238 |
| Computer Science | $77,073 | $22,288 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $75,617 | $28,143 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $75,258 | — |
| Finance | $74,949 | $23,125 |
| Management Information Systems | $73,352 | $15,530 |
| Business | $71,973 | $23,766 |
Quick list of all 36 majors
- Accounting$70,134
- Anthropology—
- Behavioral Sciences$51,151
- Biology$64,555
- Business$71,973
- Business Administration$62,046
- Chemistry—
- Communications$49,841
- Computer and Information Sciences$75,617
- Computer Engineering$79,710
- Computer Science$77,073
- Criminology$52,087
- Education—
- English$57,052
- Environmental Science / Conservation$75,258
- Finance$74,949
- Geography—
- Health Administration$60,419
- History$57,675
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,083
- Legal Support Services$52,230
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems$73,352
- Marketing$55,280
- Mathematics$60,050
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$57,065
- Nursing$103,991
- Physics—
- Psychology$48,885
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Social Work$49,513
- Sociology—
- Studio Art$38,330
— 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 →Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% 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 Houston
Overall prices in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,497. Housing costs 5% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 57 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); tornado (very high); river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (very high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Harris County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Harris County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UHCL 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston-Clear Lake | 91% | $15,563 | 52% | $59,004 | This school |
| The University of Texas at Tyler | 94% | $13,323 | 54% | $57,053 | |
| Texas A&M University-San Antonio | 93% | $11,196 | 40% | $54,338 | |
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 91% | $12,090 | 42% | $51,450 | |
| Angelo State University | 83% | $15,091 | 44% | $50,116 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Houston-Clear Lake would cost you $2,240 more per year than The University of Texas at Tyler, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Houston-Clear Lake, mostly from more The University of Texas at Tyler students living at home, which lowers its average (+$2,115).
- The University of Texas at Tyler gives aided families $2,123 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | UHCL | The University of Texas at Tyler | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,770 | $9,736 | −$1,966 |
| Books & supplies | $1,026 | $2,860 | −$1,834 |
| Housing & meals | $11,014 | $10,710 | +$304 |
| Personal & travel | $4,590 | $3,092 | +$1,498 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | +$222 | −$1,893 | +$2,115 |
| Sticker price | $24,622 | $24,505 | +$117 |
| Average grants | −$9,059 | −$11,182 | +$2,123 |
| You pay | $15,563 | $13,323 | +$2,240 |
“+” means UHCL 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 UHCL
What is the UHCL acceptance rate?
University of Houston-Clear Lake accepts 91% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,768 of 2,348 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1150 on the SAT or 20–25 on the ACT.
How much does University of Houston-Clear Lake cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,622 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,563 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,330 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,898.
How much do UHCL graduates earn?
Former University of Houston-Clear Lake students earn a median $59,004 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UHCL graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a UHCL degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Houston-Clear Lake costs about $89,701 after grants ($19,458 a year for 4.6 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $59,004 ten years after starting, $25,488 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.5 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: “University of Houston-Clear Lake: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-houston-clear-lake (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).