by our College Data Analytics TeamHere’s the full picture on paying for Sam Houston State University, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
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Attendance costs at Sam Houston State University came in between $24,517.00 and $34,357.00 depending on whether you qualify for in-state rates.
In-state residents qualified for the lower cost, with out-of-state students paying more: around $24,517.00 for in-state students versus $34,357.00 for out-of-state students.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $9,228.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,289.00 |
| Total cost | $24,517.00 |
| That is 27% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $24,517.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,101.00 |
| Net price | $15,416.00 |
| That is 20% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $24,517.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,031.00 |
| Net price | $11,486.00 |
| That is 40% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $19,068.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,289.00 |
| Total cost | $34,357.00 |
| That is 78% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,357.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,101.00 |
| Net price | $25,256.00 |
| That is 31% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,357.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,031.00 |
| Net price | $21,326.00 |
| That is 11% above the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into the tuition & fees page plus living costs. |
Published costs have climbed year over year by around 0.6% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Freshman year | $11,550.00 | $15,502.00 | $24,654.00 |
| Senior year | $11,746.00 | $15,765.00 | $25,071.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $46,591.00 | $62,533.00 | $99,450.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $17,750.00 | $23,823.00 | $37,887.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $536.00 | $720.00 | $1,144.00 |
| Total amount paid | $64,341.00 | $86,356.00 | $137,337.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Freshman year | $11,550.00 | $15,502.00 | $24,654.00 |
| Senior year | $11,615.00 | $15,589.00 | $24,793.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $23,166.00 | $31,092.00 | $49,447.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $8,825.00 | $11,845.00 | $18,838.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $267.00 | $358.00 | $569.00 |
| Total amount paid | $31,991.00 | $42,937.00 | $68,285.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Freshman year | $21,446.00 | $25,398.00 | $34,550.00 |
| Senior year | $21,808.00 | $25,827.00 | $35,134.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $86,506.00 | $102,448.00 | $139,365.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $32,956.00 | $39,029.00 | $53,093.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $996.00 | $1,179.00 | $1,604.00 |
| Total amount paid | $119,462.00 | $141,476.00 | $192,457.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Freshman year | $21,446.00 | $25,398.00 | $34,550.00 |
| Senior year | $21,566.00 | $25,540.00 | $34,743.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $43,011.00 | $50,937.00 | $69,293.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,386.00 | $19,405.00 | $26,398.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $495.00 | $586.00 | $797.00 |
| Total amount paid | $59,397.00 | $70,343.00 | $95,691.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the Net Price section.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $16,404.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $16,025.00 |
What families actually pay shifts with income, since need-based grants are larger for lower-income students. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $11,736.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $12,541.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $15,419.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $21,551.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $23,198.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Sam Houston State University Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the grants & scholarships detail.
The median graduating debt at Sam Houston State University amounts to $16,500.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden bucket.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,750.00 |
| 25th | $6,693.00 |
| Median (50th) | $16,500.00 |
| 75th | $26,000.00 |
| 90th | $35,750.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt page.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,250.00 |
| Middle income | $16,500.00 |
| High income | $15,000.00 |
On average, low-income graduates leave with $2,250.00 more debt than high-income graduates.
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,511.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,500.00 |
First-generation graduates of Sam Houston State University carry $1,011.00 in extra median debt compared with continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Sam Houston State University works out to $4,250.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The default-rate classification at Sam Houston State University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 8.3% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Sam Houston State University add up to $1,373,778,349.00 distributed across 63,678 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers can tap dedicated federal aid programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 455 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $9,410.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 71 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $3,289.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the veteran aid breakdown.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing Sam Houston State University, a few questions are worth asking:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.