Eastern vs. Texas State

Should I go to Eastern Kentucky University or Texas State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Eastern or Texas State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Eastern Kentucky University vs. Texas State University comparison
Eastern Kentucky University Texas State University College 3 College 4
Eastern Kentucky University Texas State University
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Overview

 Eastern Texas State
Location Richmond, KY San Marcos, TX
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 15,008 38,722
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #873 #691
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website eku.edu txstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Eastern Texas State
Tuition (In State) $9,830 $8,606
Tuition (Out of State) $20,520 $20,366
Room & Board $11,735 $12,270
Avg Net Price $10,852 $15,307
Avg Grant Aid $11,460 $11,169
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 74%

Admission

 Eastern Texas State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,082 37,183
Admitted 13,340 33,273
Acceptance Rate 78.1% 89.5%
Enrolled % 20.9% 23.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.38
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/24 19/26
SAT Range 930/1190 980/1190
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2026 Jun 1, 2026

Academics

 Eastern Texas State
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (14%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

 Eastern Texas State
Graduation Rate 38% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,900 $49,200
Making Student Loan Payments 49% 55%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,695 $21,250
Median Loan Payment $245 $219

Diversity

 Eastern Texas State
% Men 4% 4%
% Women 11% 7%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 85% 49%
% Black 6% 9%
% Hispanic 2% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Eastern Texas State
% In-State 92% 97%
% Out-of-State 8% 2%

Campus

 Eastern Texas State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Texas State University is larger than than Eastern based on total student enrollment (38,722 students vs. 15,008 students)

Eastern vs. Texas State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Eastern or Texas State?

  • Eastern Kentucky University is 14.2% more expensive to attend than Texas State for in-state tuition ($9,830.00 vs. $8,606.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.8% higher at Eastern than Texas State University ($20,520.00 vs. $20,366.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Eastern Kentucky University than Texas State ($10,852 vs. $15,307)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Eastern Kentucky University are 4.6% lower than costs at Texas State University ($11,735 vs. $12,270)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Eastern Kentucky University than Texas State University (98% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Eastern Kentucky University students is 2.6% larger than aid received Texas State University ($11,460 vs. $11,169)

Eastern vs. Texas State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Eastern or Texas State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Texas State or Eastern .

  • The average SAT score at Texas State University (1038) is 10 points higher than at Eastern (1028)
  • Incoming Texas State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Eastern (22)
  • Accepted freshman Eastern students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at Texas State (3.38)
  • Texas State has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than Eastern (78.1%)

Eastern vs. Texas State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Eastern or Texas State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Texas State and Eastern.

  • The graduation rate at Texas State is higher than Eastern Kentucky University (56% vs. 38%)
  • Graduates from Texas State University earn on average $11,300 more per year than Eastern graduates after ten years. ($49,200 vs. $37,900)
  • Texas State University students graduate with a $2,445 lower median federal student loan debt than Eastern graduates. ($21,250 vs. $23,695)
  • Texas State graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Eastern graduates. ($219 vs. $245)
  • More Texas State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Eastern students, three years after graduation. (55% vs. 49%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/