UH vs. St. Mary's University

Should I go to University of Houston or St. Mary's University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UH or St. Mary's University 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 vs. St. Mary's University comparison
University of Houston St. Mary's University College 3 College 4
University of Houston St. Mary's University
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Overview

 UH St. Mary's University
Location Houston, TX San Antonio, TX
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 46,676 3,411
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #468 #634
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uh.edu stmarytx.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UH St. Mary's University
Tuition (In State) $8,685 $35,144
Tuition (Out of State) $21,165 $35,144
Room & Board $10,830 $11,720
Avg Net Price $13,738 $20,562
Avg Grant Aid $11,551 $26,045
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 98%

Admission

 UH St. Mary's University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,327 5,203
Admitted 21,087 4,628
Acceptance Rate 69.5% 88.9%
Enrolled % 26.8% 11.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.46 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/28 16/23
SAT Range 1150/1330 980/1150
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 May 31, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 UH St. Mary's University
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

 UH St. Mary's University
Graduation Rate 46% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $50,000
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,750 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $204 $279

Diversity

 UH St. Mary's University
% Men 9% 16%
% Women 10% 21%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 26% 15%
% Black 10% 3%
% Hispanic 32% 70%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 5% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UH St. Mary's University
% In-State 93% 91%
% Out-of-State 3% 5%

Campus

 UH St. Mary's University
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Houston is larger than than St. Mary's University based on total student enrollment (46,676 students vs. 3,411 students)

UH vs. St. Mary's University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UH or St. Mary's University?

  • St. Mary's University is 304.7% more expensive to attend than UH for in-state tuition ($35,144.00 vs. $8,685.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66% higher at St. Mary's University than University of Houston ($35,144.00 vs. $21,165.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Houston than St. Mary's University ($13,738 vs. $20,562)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston are 8.2% lower than costs at St. Mary's University ($10,830 vs. $11,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St. Mary's University than University of Houston (98% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St. Mary's University students is 125.5% larger than aid received University of Houston ($26,045 vs. $11,551)

UH vs. St. Mary's University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UH or St. Mary's University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between St. Mary's University or UH .

  • The average SAT score at University of Houston (1154) is 116 points higher than at St. Mary's University (1038)
  • Incoming UH students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at St. Mary's University (23)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's University students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at UH (3.46)
  • St. Mary's University has a higher acceptance rate (88.9%) than UH (69.5%)

UH vs. St. Mary's University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UH or St. Mary's University? 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 St. Mary's University and UH.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's University is higher than University of Houston (58% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from University of Houston earn on average $9,000 more per year than St. Mary's University graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $50,000)
  • University of Houston students graduate with a $7,250 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's University graduates. ($19,750 vs. $27,000)
  • UH graduates are paying $75 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's University graduates. ($204 vs. $279)
  • More UH graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Mary's University students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 59%)

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