Sam Houston State University

Public · Moderately Selective · TX

Photo: Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationTX · South

SettingRural

Undergrads17,743

Student:faculty19:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate36%

6-yr grad rate54.8%

Drop-out rate26.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$9k

Out-of-state tuition$19k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity55.7%

Gender diversity62.5%

International0.7%

Identity—

Overview

Sam Houston State University, in Huntsville, Texas north of Houston, is best known for one of the oldest and most respected criminal justice programs in the country, a reputation that shapes much of the university's identity and draws students from well beyond Texas specifically for that program. It has grown into a comprehensive regional university while keeping criminal justice as its clear signature.

Academics

Criminal justice and forensic science are the clear signature strengths, run through the College of Criminal Justice, and benefit from the university's proximity to several state corrections facilities, which gives students unusually direct hands-on and career-pipeline opportunities in those fields, including internships with Texas law enforcement and corrections agencies. Education and business are additional solid, well-established programs, and the university has built out a growing health sciences presence as well.

Campus & student life

Huntsville is a smaller East Texas town where the university is the dominant institution, giving campus life a close-knit, tradition-oriented feel. Bearkat athletics — football in particular, with a genuine, loyal following — and a strong sense of school identity are part of the social fabric, and the town's connection to Sam Houston himself, whose memorial museum sits nearby, gives campus a distinct historical backdrop.

Getting in

Admission is accessible and grades-driven rather than intensely selective, and the university draws a substantial share of students specifically for its criminal justice reputation rather than as a general fallback option. That program in particular has a more competitive, identity-driven applicant pool than the university's admission profile as a whole would suggest.

After graduation

Criminal justice and forensic science graduates have a well-worn pipeline into Texas law enforcement, corrections, and federal agencies, supported by the university's proximity to state correctional institutions and a long alumni presence in those fields. Education and business graduates find steady placement across Texas, particularly in the Houston metro area.

Worth knowing

The criminal justice program's national reputation means students often choose Sam Houston specifically for that degree rather than discovering it after enrolling, and its ties to Texas's correctional and law-enforcement agencies are a genuine, unusual asset for hands-on learning in the field.

shsu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate90.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 930–1120 · ACT 17–24

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying