Home / Worth-It Scores / Texas / University of Houston-Clear Lake
Is University of Houston-Clear Lake worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for University of Houston-Clear Lake, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
University of Houston-Clear Lake lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $17,928 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $61,521, but the margin is not huge. For context, University of Houston-Clear Lake's net price is about 20% below the typical 4-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$10,488
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $2,667 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $11,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$11,852
Median earnings 10 years out
$61,521
Median debt at graduation
$17,928
Graduation rate
48%
At University of Houston-Clear Lake, a typical graduate carries about $17,928 in student debt and earns roughly $61,521 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $204 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $30,350 more than the typical working high school graduate in Texas ($31,171) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
83% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in Texas ($31,171).
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor's degree · 41 working graduates counted
$38,330
$7,159 above the benchmark
Psychology, General
Bachelor's degree · 115 working graduates counted
$48,885
$17,714 above the benchmark
Social Work
Bachelor's degree · 25 working graduates counted
$49,513
$18,342 above the benchmark
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor's degree · 54 working graduates counted
$49,841
$18,670 above the benchmark
Behavioral Sciences
Bachelor's degree · 59 working graduates counted
$51,151
$19,980 above the benchmark
Criminology
Bachelor's degree · 52 working graduates counted
$52,087
$20,916 above the benchmark
Legal Support Services
Bachelor's degree · 28 working graduates counted
$52,230
$21,059 above the benchmark
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor's degree · 63 working graduates counted
$55,083
$23,912 above the benchmark
Marketing
Bachelor's degree · 42 working graduates counted
$55,280
$24,109 above the benchmark
English Language and Literature, General
Bachelor's degree · 30 working graduates counted
$57,052
$25,881 above the benchmark
15 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent University of Houston-Clear Lake and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
University of Houston-Clear Lake is a public four year school in Houston, TX. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
Midwestern State
Wichita Falls, TX
Worth-It Score: 63/100
Median net price: $11,793
Public 4-year
University of Houston
Houston, TX
Worth-It Score: 76/100
Median net price: $11,439
Public 4-year
Texas Woman's
Denton, TX
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $11,060
Public 4-year
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Kingsville, TX
Worth-It Score: 62/100
Median net price: $13,212
Public 4-year
Angelo State
San Angelo, TX
Worth-It Score: 62/100
Median net price: $13,394
Common questions about University of Houston-Clear Lake
The median net price at University of Houston-Clear Lake is $11,852 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in Texas? See the most affordable public universities in Texas →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at University of Houston-Clear Lake in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
Not saved, and not sent anywhere — this stays in your browser.
All students who received aid
$11,852a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →