# Houston Christian University (HCU)

Private nonprofit college in Houston, TX. IPEDS ID 225399.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/houston-christian-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/houston-christian-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 84% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $20,629 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 49%; beats 58% of TX colleges and 41% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $55,933; beats 65% of TX colleges and 59% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $11,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $17,933 |
| 30-48k | $18,998 |
| 48-75k | $19,803 |
| 75-110k | $24,079 |
| 110k+ | $28,640 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.26 years on average (37% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $55,933 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $17,933 | $76,395 | 3.4 years |
| 30-48k | $18,998 | $80,931 | 3.6 years |
| 48-75k | $19,803 | $84,361 | 3.8 years |
| 75-110k | $24,079 | $102,577 | 4.6 years |
| 110k+ | $28,640 | $122,006 | 5.4 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $50,082
- Tuition and fees: $39,430
- Housing and meals: $10,816; books: $1,000

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 500–600; SAT math: 490–590; ACT: 17–24 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 9,021 applicants, 7,681 admitted, 729 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 84%, ACT 17–24 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 85%, ACT 19–28 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (47 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $79,229 | $93,475 | $25,394 |
| Marketing | not reported | $68,490 | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | $54,696 | $31,000 |
| Business Administration | $39,833 | $53,464 | $23,500 |
| Psychology | $24,970 | $53,021 | $25,500 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $34,720 | $45,718 | $21,000 |
| Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $58,604 | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Development and Family Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | $26,667 |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | $24,250 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Behavioral Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bible Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theology / Ministry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | $27,500 |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $99,830 (Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX), $95,970 (TX), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $101,120 (Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX), $101,400 (TX), $101,860 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).