UHCL vs. UTEP

Should I go to University of Houston Clear Lake or The University of Texas at El Paso? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UHCL or UTEP 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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University of Houston Clear Lake vs. The University of Texas at El Paso comparison
University of Houston Clear Lake The University of Texas at El Paso College 3 College 4
The University of Texas at El Paso
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Overview

UHCL UTEP
Location Houston, TX El Paso, TX
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 8,562 23,880
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1039
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uhcl.edu utep.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UHCL UTEP
Tuition (In State) $6,024 $7,704
Tuition (Out of State) $19,320 $23,112
Room & Board $9,440 $9,582
Avg Net Price $17,871 $9,563
Avg Grant Aid $16,973 $10,564
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 87%

Admission

UHCL UTEP
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,985 10,493
Admitted 1,377 10,485
Acceptance Rate 69.4% 99.9%
Enrolled % 25.6% 35.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.3
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/23 16/22
SAT Range 990/1173 870/1090
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 Jun 1, 2025 May 1, 2025

Academics

UHCL UTEP
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • General Studies (8%)

Outcomes

UHCL UTEP
Graduation Rate - 37%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 45%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,150 $17,250
Median Loan Payment $177 $178

Diversity

UHCL UTEP
% Men 37% 44%
% Women 63% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 43% 7%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 36% 83%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UHCL UTEP
% In-State 100% 92%
% Out-of-State 0% 2%

Campus

UHCL UTEP
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • The University of Texas at El Paso is larger than than UHCL based on total student enrollment (23,880 students vs. 8,562 students)

UHCL vs. UTEP Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UHCL or UTEP?

  • The University of Texas at El Paso is 27.9% more expensive to attend than UHCL for in-state tuition ($7,704.00 vs. $6,024.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.6% higher at UTEP than University of Houston Clear Lake ($23,112.00 vs. $19,320.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The University of Texas at El Paso than UHCL ($9,563 vs. $17,871)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston Clear Lake are 1.5% lower than costs at The University of Texas at El Paso ($9,440 vs. $9,582)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Texas at El Paso than University of Houston Clear Lake (87% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Houston Clear Lake students is 60.7% larger than aid received The University of Texas at El Paso ($16,973 vs. $10,564)

UHCL vs. UTEP Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Houston Clear Lake (1025) is 92 points higher than at UTEP (933)
  • Incoming UHCL students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at UTEP (20)
  • Accepted freshman UHCL students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at UTEP (3.3)
  • UTEP has a higher acceptance rate (99.9%) than UHCL (69.4%)

UHCL vs. UTEP Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UHCL or UTEP? 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 UTEP and UHCL.

  • Graduates from University of Houston Clear Lake earn on average $11,500 more per year than UTEP graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $42,200)
  • University of Houston Clear Lake students graduate with a $100 lower median federal student loan debt than UTEP graduates. ($17,150 vs. $17,250)
  • UHCL graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than UTEP graduates. ($177 vs. $178)
  • More UHCL graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UTEP students, three years after graduation. (56% vs. 45%)

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