SHSU vs. UT Tyler

Should I go to Sam Houston State University or The University of Texas at Tyler? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SHSU or UT Tyler 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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Sam Houston State University vs. The University of Texas at Tyler comparison
Sam Houston State University The University of Texas at Tyler College 3 College 4
Sam Houston State University The University of Texas at Tyler
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Overview

 SHSU UT Tyler
Location Huntsville, TX Tyler, TX
Setting Remote Town Small City
Enrollment 21,403 9,678
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #747 #535
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website shsu.edu uttyler.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SHSU UT Tyler
Tuition (In State) $5,856 $7,371
Tuition (Out of State) $15,648 $22,649
Room & Board $11,720 $10,710
Avg Net Price $14,556 $14,043
Avg Grant Aid $9,941 $9,608
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 84%

Admission

 SHSU UT Tyler
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,582 5,521
Admitted 15,014 5,054
Acceptance Rate 85.4% 91.5%
Enrolled % 24% 26.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.25 3.44
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25 19/25
SAT Range 940/1140 1010/1220
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, 2025 Aug 24, 2025

Academics

 SHSU UT Tyler
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 SHSU UT Tyler
Graduation Rate 50% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,800 $49,100
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $18,632
Median Loan Payment $222 $192

Diversity

 SHSU UT Tyler
% Men 5% 8%
% Women 10% 17%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 58%
% Black 19% 9%
% Hispanic 20% 16%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 SHSU UT Tyler
% In-State 99% 97%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

 SHSU UT Tyler
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Sam Houston State University is larger than than UT Tyler based on total student enrollment (21,403 students vs. 9,678 students)

SHSU vs. UT Tyler Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHSU or UT Tyler?

  • The University of Texas at Tyler is 25.9% more expensive to attend than SHSU for in-state tuition ($7,371.00 vs. $5,856.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44.7% higher at UT Tyler than Sam Houston State University ($22,649.00 vs. $15,648.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The University of Texas at Tyler than SHSU ($14,043 vs. $14,556)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Texas at Tyler are 9.4% lower than costs at Sam Houston State University ($10,710 vs. $11,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Texas at Tyler than Sam Houston State University (84% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sam Houston State University students is 3.5% larger than aid received The University of Texas at Tyler ($9,941 vs. $9,608)

SHSU vs. UT Tyler Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The University of Texas at Tyler (1059) is 62 points higher than at SHSU (997)
  • Incoming UT Tyler students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at SHSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman UT Tyler students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.44) than students at SHSU (3.25)
  • UT Tyler has a higher acceptance rate (91.5%) than SHSU (85.4%)

SHSU vs. UT Tyler Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHSU or UT Tyler? 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 UT Tyler and SHSU.

  • The graduation rate at SHSU is higher than The University of Texas at Tyler (50% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from The University of Texas at Tyler earn on average $1,300 more per year than SHSU graduates after ten years. ($49,100 vs. $47,800)
  • The University of Texas at Tyler students graduate with a $2,868 lower median federal student loan debt than SHSU graduates. ($18,632 vs. $21,500)
  • UT Tyler graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than SHSU graduates. ($192 vs. $222)
  • More SHSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UT Tyler students, three years after graduation. (57% vs. 57%)

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