SHSU vs. St. Mary's University

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

 SHSU St. Mary's University
Location Huntsville, TX San Antonio, TX
Setting Remote Town Large City
Enrollment 21,403 3,411
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #747 #634
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website shsu.edu stmarytx.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SHSU St. Mary's University
Tuition (In State) $5,856 $35,144
Tuition (Out of State) $15,648 $35,144
Room & Board $11,720 $11,720
Avg Net Price $14,556 $20,562
Avg Grant Aid $9,941 $26,045
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 98%

Admission

 SHSU St. Mary's University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,582 5,203
Admitted 15,014 4,628
Acceptance Rate 85.4% 88.9%
Enrolled % 24% 11.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.25 3.61
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25 16/23
SAT Range 940/1140 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 Aug 1, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 SHSU St. Mary's University
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

 SHSU St. Mary's University
Graduation Rate 50% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,800 $50,000
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $222 $279

Diversity

 SHSU St. Mary's University
% Men 5% 16%
% Women 10% 21%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 53% 15%
% Black 19% 3%
% Hispanic 20% 70%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 0%
% International 1% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 SHSU St. Mary's University
% In-State 99% 91%
% Out-of-State 1% 5%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Sam Houston State University is larger than than St. Mary's University based on total student enrollment (21,403 students vs. 3,411 students)

SHSU vs. St. Mary's University Cost Comparison

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

  • St. Mary's University is 500.1% more expensive to attend than SHSU for in-state tuition ($35,144.00 vs. $5,856.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 124.6% higher at St. Mary's University than Sam Houston State University ($35,144.00 vs. $15,648.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Sam Houston State University than St. Mary's University ($14,556 vs. $20,562)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St. Mary's University are 0% lower than costs at Sam Houston State University ($11,720 vs. $11,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St. Mary's University than Sam Houston State University (98% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St. Mary's University students is 162% larger than aid received Sam Houston State University ($26,045 vs. $9,941)

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

Which college is harder to get into, SHSU 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 SHSU .

  • The average SAT score at St. Mary's University (1038) is 41 points higher than at SHSU (997)
  • Incoming St. Mary's University students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at SHSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's University students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at SHSU (3.25)
  • St. Mary's University has a higher acceptance rate (88.9%) than SHSU (85.4%)

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

Which is better, SHSU 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 SHSU.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's University is higher than Sam Houston State University (58% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from St. Mary's University earn on average $2,200 more per year than SHSU graduates after ten years. ($50,000 vs. $47,800)
  • Sam Houston State University students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's University graduates. ($21,500 vs. $27,000)
  • SHSU graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's University graduates. ($222 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SHSU students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 57%)

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