UT-Pan American vs. SHSU

Should I go to The University of Texas Pan American or Sam Houston State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UT-Pan American or SHSU 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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The University of Texas Pan American vs. Sam Houston State University comparison
The University of Texas Pan American Sam Houston State University College 3 College 4
The University of Texas Pan American Sam Houston State University
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Overview

UT-Pan American SHSU
Location Edinburg, TX Huntsville, TX
Setting Small City Remote Town
Enrollment 31,931 21,403
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #877 #747
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website utpa.edu shsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UT-Pan American SHSU
Tuition (In State) $7,857 $5,856
Tuition (Out of State) $17,937 $15,648
Room & Board $9,662 $11,720
Avg Net Price $6,978 $14,556
Avg Grant Aid $11,481 $9,941
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 65%

Admission

UT-Pan American SHSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,542 17,582
Admitted 11,486 15,014
Acceptance Rate 84.8% 85.4%
Enrolled % 49.1% 24%
Avg High School GPA 3.16 3.25
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22 19/25
SAT Range 910/1110 940/1140
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 Jul 1, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

UT-Pan American SHSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • General Studies (12%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

UT-Pan American SHSU
Graduation Rate 42% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,900 $47,800
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,539 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $108 $222

Diversity

UT-Pan American SHSU
% Men 5% 5%
% Women 10% 10%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low High
HBCU No No
% White 3% 53%
% Black 1% 19%
% Hispanic 91% 20%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

UT-Pan American SHSU
% In-State 99% 99%
% Out-of-State 0% 1%

Campus

UT-Pan American SHSU
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

  • The University of Texas Pan American is larger than than SHSU based on total student enrollment (31,931 students vs. 21,403 students)

UT-Pan American vs. SHSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UT-Pan American or SHSU?

  • The University of Texas Pan American is 34.2% more expensive to attend than SHSU for in-state tuition ($7,857.00 vs. $5,856.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.6% higher at UT-Pan American than Sam Houston State University ($17,937.00 vs. $15,648.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The University of Texas Pan American than SHSU ($6,978 vs. $14,556)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Texas Pan American are 21.3% lower than costs at Sam Houston State University ($9,662 vs. $11,720)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Texas Pan American than Sam Houston State University (92% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Texas Pan American students is 15.5% larger than aid received Sam Houston State University ($11,481 vs. $9,941)

UT-Pan American vs. SHSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UT-Pan American or SHSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between SHSU or UT-Pan American .

  • The average SAT score at Sam Houston State University (997) is 73 points higher than at UT-Pan American (924)
  • Incoming SHSU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at UT-Pan American (19)
  • Accepted freshman SHSU students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.25) than students at UT-Pan American (3.16)
  • SHSU has a higher acceptance rate (85.4%) than UT-Pan American (84.8%)

UT-Pan American vs. SHSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UT-Pan American or SHSU? 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 SHSU and UT-Pan American.

  • The graduation rate at SHSU is higher than The University of Texas Pan American (50% vs. 42%)
  • Graduates from Sam Houston State University earn on average $5,900 more per year than UT-Pan American graduates after ten years. ($47,800 vs. $41,900)
  • The University of Texas Pan American students graduate with a $10,961 lower median federal student loan debt than SHSU graduates. ($10,539 vs. $21,500)
  • UT-Pan American graduates are paying $114 less per month on federal student loans than SHSU graduates. ($108 vs. $222)
  • More SHSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UT-Pan American students, three years after graduation. (57% vs. 51%)

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