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Most affordable public universities in Texas

55 public universities in Texas report net price data, ranging from $437 at the lowest to higher costs at more selective schools. The median net price across these is $10,763. Texas's public universities cost about the same as the national average for the kind. The list below shows the most affordable options, ranked by net price.

Median net price in Texas

$10,763

National median for public universities

$10,692

public universities reporting in Texas

55

The most affordable public universities in Texas, ranked by net price

1

Texas A&M University-Central Texas

TX

Net price

$437

Receive grant aid

92%

2

South Texas College

TX

Net price

$1,414

Receive grant aid

99%

3

College of the Mainland

TX

Net price

$3,442

Receive grant aid

84%

4

Net price

$3,502

Receive grant aid

42%

5

Texas A & M International University

TX

Net price

$3,833

Receive grant aid

99%

6

Dallas College

TX

Net price

$4,068

Receive grant aid

72%

7

Odessa College

TX

Net price

$4,300

Receive grant aid

65%

8

Del Mar College

TX

Net price

$4,322

Receive grant aid

80%

9

Trinity Valley Community College

TX

Net price

$4,327

Receive grant aid

76%

10

Laredo College

TX

Net price

$5,053

Receive grant aid

87%

11

Net price

$5,659

Receive grant aid

92%

12

San Antonio College

TX

Net price

$5,832

Receive grant aid

84%

13

Houston Community College

TX

Net price

$6,033

Receive grant aid

58%

14

Grayson College

TX

Net price

$6,394

Receive grant aid

92%

15

Midland College

TX

Net price

$6,396

Receive grant aid

72%

16

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

TX

Net price

$6,978

Receive grant aid

92%

17

San Jacinto Community College

TX

Net price

$7,674

Receive grant aid

59%

18

Collin County Community College District

TX

Net price

$8,071

Receive grant aid

37%

19

Galveston College

TX

Net price

$8,085

Receive grant aid

86%

20

Weatherford College

TX

Net price

$8,264

Receive grant aid

60%

21

University of North Texas at Dallas

TX

Net price

$9,109

Receive grant aid

94%

22

Tyler Junior College

TX

Net price

$9,148

Receive grant aid

76%

23

University of Houston-Victoria

TX

Net price

$9,912

Receive grant aid

77%

24

The University of Texas Permian Basin

TX

Net price

$10,143

Receive grant aid

94%

25

The University of Texas at El Paso

TX

Net price

$10,333

Receive grant aid

80%

What makes a school affordable here

In Texas, the most affordable public universities share two things in common. First, low published net prices reflect both reasonable sticker prices and meaningful institutional or state aid. Second, a high share of students receive grant aid. At Texas A&M University-Central Texas, the most affordable on this list, 92% of students receive grant aid. Net price reflects what a typical family actually pays, not the sticker price you see at first glance. A school with a $50,000 sticker price and a $10,000 net price is more affordable for most families than a school with a $20,000 sticker and a $19,000 net price.

Affordable colleges in Texas, other types

Affordable public universities in other states

Find your personalized cost

National rankings use publicly available federal cost data. Plug in your actual aid offer and family situation for a Worth-It Score that reflects your specific picture.

Affordability rankings use publicly available federal higher-ed cost data. Net price reflects the average cost a family pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from total cost of attendance, for the 2022-23 reporting year. See full methodology →