University of Houston

Public · Moderately Selective · TX

Photo: Michael Slaten (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationTX · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads38,380

Student:faculty22:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate42.8%

6-yr grad rate64.6%

Drop-out rate13%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$10k

Out-of-state tuition$23k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity83.6%

Gender diversity52%

International5.4%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Houston is a large public research university situated in the heart of America's energy capital, with a student body among the most diverse of any major U.S. university. Its identity is closely tied to Houston itself, drawing on and feeding into the city's oil-and-gas, healthcare, and business industries, and its southeast Houston campus sits within reach of the Texas Medical Center and the city's downtown core. UH has pushed hard in recent years to build a more traditional residential and athletics culture on top of its historic commuter-school roots.

Academics

The Bauer College of Business, the Hilton College of hotel and restaurant management, and the Cullen College of Engineering are all well regarded and structured with direct pipelines into Houston employers, particularly in energy, hospitality, and healthcare. The university's research profile has grown substantially, particularly in energy-related engineering, health sciences, and materials research. Less widely known outside literary circles is UH's creative writing program, which has built a genuinely strong national reputation and hosts a well-known public reading series. The Honors College gives strong students access to smaller seminars and research opportunities within a university whose main colleges are otherwise quite large.

Campus & student life

UH sits within Houston proper, giving it an urban, commuter-influenced character even as on-campus housing and student life have expanded in recent years to counter that reputation. The diversity of the student body is a defining feature of campus culture, with a wide range of cultural and international student organizations. Cougar athletics, especially basketball, have risen to real national relevance in recent years, and the move into a stronger athletic conference has raised the program's visibility well beyond Houston.

Getting in

Admissions is holistic and reasonably accessible for a large research university, with particular competitiveness for its Honors College and for direct-entry business and engineering programs. UH draws heavily from the Houston area and the broader Gulf Coast region, and its relative affordability compared with other Texas research universities makes it a common choice for strong in-state students weighing cost against prestige.

After graduation

Graduates are heavily recruited by Houston's energy, healthcare, and business sectors, and the university's placement into the city's major corporate employers is a central part of its value proposition, supported by an alumni network concentrated in the region. Hilton College graduates in particular have strong ties into the hospitality industry both locally and nationally, given the program's long-standing reputation in that field.

Worth knowing

UH's commuter-school reputation is outdated for students who want a residential experience, but it hasn't fully disappeared, and prospective students should look closely at current housing and campus-life offerings rather than assume the older reputation still holds. Houston's size means students have enormous internship and job access without needing to relocate after graduation.

uh.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate73.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1160–1340 · ACT 23–29

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Regular decisionMay 31

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or ApplyTexas.

Priority / scholarshipNov 2

There is no binding early decision or restrictive early action plan; applying by the November 2 priority deadline (supporting info due Nov. 9) brings maximum scholarship consideration ahead of the May 31, 2027 regular deadline (supporting info due June 7).

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗