University of St Thomas

Private · Moderately Selective · TX

Photo: Ruizda (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationTX · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads3,220

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate43.5%

6-yr grad rate68.8%

Drop-out rate22.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$35k

Out-of-state tuition$35k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity84.2%

Gender diversity59.2%

International4.3%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

The University of St. Thomas is a small Catholic university in Houston's Montrose neighborhood, founded and still sponsored by the Basilian Fathers. It holds onto a genuine liberal-arts-core identity in a way many similarly sized Catholic schools have drifted from, with philosophy and theology treated as central rather than peripheral requirements.

Academics

Every student works through a substantial core curriculum grounded in philosophy, theology, and the classical liberal arts, regardless of major — a structure the university treats as its defining feature. Alongside that core, nursing and business have grown into significant professional programs, giving students a blend of a traditional Catholic liberal arts foundation and practical career preparation.

Campus & student life

The campus is compact and urban, tucked into Montrose, one of Houston's most walkable and culturally eclectic neighborhoods, putting students close to the Houston Museum District and the city's medical center. The community is small enough that most students know each other, and Catholic identity is visible in campus life without being obligatory for non-Catholic students.

Getting in

The university looks for students genuinely interested in its core-curriculum model — essays and interviews tend to probe whether an applicant wants that kind of structured, discussion-based education rather than an open curriculum.

After graduation

Many graduates stay in Houston, moving into the city's health care, energy, education, and nonprofit sectors, and the university's small size means a genuinely close alumni network within the city rather than a diffuse national one.

Worth knowing

The philosophy-and-theology core runs multiple courses deep rather than being a light-touch general-education requirement, and it's the thing alumni most often cite when describing what made the school distinctive.

stthom.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate89.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 980–1210 · ACT 18–25

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying