# Texas Christian University (TCU)

Private nonprofit college in Fort Worth, TX. IPEDS ID 228875.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/texas-christian-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/texas-christian-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 45% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $36,660 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 86%; beats 97% of TX colleges and 93% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $68,424; beats 90% of TX colleges and 84% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $17,956 |
| 30-48k | $16,980 |
| 48-75k | $17,940 |
| 75-110k | $34,990 |
| 110k+ | $53,450 |

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 4.15 years on average (74% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $68,424 (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 | $17,956 | $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 |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $76,604
- Tuition and fees: $61,740
- Housing and meals: $14,800; books: $800

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 580–680; SAT math: 560–670; ACT: 26–31 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 20,517 applicants, 8,740 admitted, 2,488 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 45%, ACT 26–31 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 43%, ACT 26–31 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: rigor, gpa; important: essay, extracurriculars, character, first generation, volunteer, work experience; considered: test scores, recommendations, talent, alumni relation, geography, state residency, religion, interest
- Early decision: yes (935 of 1373 admitted); early action: not reported; waitlist: yes (396 admitted of 1083 who accepted a spot)
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 78.6% of need met; 336 of 1118 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 1044 students, average $24,703
- Source: https://ir.tcu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CDS-2025-26-TCU.pdf

## Majors (67 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysis | $73,740 | $121,734 | $20,750 |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | $114,822 | not reported |
| Finance | $78,453 | $111,304 | $19,500 |
| Business Administration | $71,984 | $106,765 | $25,000 |
| Real Estate | $68,246 | $103,547 | $24,282 |
| Accounting | $72,031 | $101,938 | $17,778 |
| Marketing | $68,497 | $97,148 | $19,250 |
| Engineering | $73,774 | $93,753 | $22,944 |
| Nursing | $77,808 | $89,690 | $27,000 |
| Economics | $54,462 | $89,466 | $19,500 |
| Political Science | $50,627 | $75,419 | $25,000 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $48,053 | $71,186 | $24,148 |
| Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education | not reported | $70,026 | $25,166 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $69,730 | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | $68,313 | not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $42,712 | $66,108 | $19,500 |
| Social Work | $33,819 | $65,536 | $24,000 |
| Psychology | $42,108 | $65,356 | $23,412 |
| English | not reported | $64,885 | not reported |
| Biology | $19,218 | $63,572 | $22,000 |
| Communications | $32,123 | $63,531 | $21,500 |
| Sociology | not reported | $62,392 | $23,187 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | $38,678 | $61,636 | $22,500 |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | $61,190 | $21,500 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $57,665 | $61,004 | $26,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $55,814 | $60,125 | $22,287 |
| Journalism | not reported | $58,738 | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | $34,556 | $56,791 | $20,429 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $28,328 | $51,292 | $27,000 |
| Theatre | $21,221 | $42,483 | $27,000 |
| Agricultural Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $76,826 | not reported | not reported |
| Education | 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 |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Natural Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nutrition Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Music and Worship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | 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 | $23,500 |
| Health Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dietetics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | $65,028 | not reported | $25,292 |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $101,420 (Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX), $95,970 (TX), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Communications → Public relations specialist: median wage $69,280 (Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX), $65,160 (TX), $74,750 (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).