Skip to content
AlmaSpire

Houston, TX · Public · 12,555 undergraduates · urban

University of Houston-Downtown

Less selective

UHD is defined by accessibility and location, placing career-oriented business, computing, criminal justice, science, and public-service programs directly in central Houston.

Kenneth C. Zirkel / CC BY 4.0

Institutional profile

Well established Solid in affordability, and solid in mobility.
Academic Emerging Affordability Solid Career Solid Mobility Solid Experience Solid
Academic standing Emerging
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Solid
Student experience Solid
Admission
90.6% admitted

6,953 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
55.5%

$53,551 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets University of Houston-Downtown apart

Academic design

Business, data and computing, sciences, humanities, criminal justice, and public-service programs emphasize practical urban relevance.

Campus pattern

Campus sits immediately north of downtown Houston with direct METRORail access.

Career & value signal

Houston offers energy, healthcare, government, logistics, technology, finance, and corporate opportunities.

Can I get in?

90.6% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

6,953

About 91 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 90.6%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%960–1110
8601200
ACT middle 50%17–23
1327

Of admitted students, 43% submitted an SAT, and 4% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA10.6%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for University of Houston-Downtown, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What University of Houston-Downtown weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Business, data and computing, sciences, humanities, criminal justice, and public-service programs emphasize practical urban relevance.

02

Make institutional fit specific

UHD is defined by accessibility and location, placing career-oriented business, computing, criminal justice, science, and public-service programs directly in central Houston.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Regular DecisionApr 1
Application routeInstitution application

$50 application fee

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$23,104
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$11,000
Affordability profileSolid

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at University of Houston-Downtown

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years55.5%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one67.2%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$53,551

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Recent graduates428
Median earnings$59,924

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates257
Median earnings$69,712

Admits separately

Accounting and Related Services

Recent graduates251
Median earnings$67,499

Admits separately

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Recent graduates241
Median earnings$53,589

Psychology, General

Recent graduates240
Median earnings$48,234

What is campus life like?

University of Houston-Downtown beyond the classroom

Campus sits immediately north of downtown Houston with direct METRORail access.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Business, data and computing, sciences, humanities, criminal justice, and public-service programs emphasize practical urban relevance.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Campus sits immediately north of downtown Houston with direct METRORail access.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Houston offers energy, healthcare, government, logistics, technology, finance, and corporate opportunities.

12,555 undergraduatesSouthwesturban setting0% of first-year students live on campus