Denton, Texas (TX) Colleges and Universities

While there are only two public or private non-profit schools in Denton, there are many schools, including one other public or private non-profit school, located within a 26-mile radius. Read about the top schools in several categories, including program variety and graduation rate to find the school for you.

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Most Program Variety

Students can expect to discover a wide array of programs offered at the public and private non-profit schools in the Denton area, as there was a mix of universities and community colleges. Read on to find out which schools offered the most variety in their programs.

1 - University of North Texas

Located right in Denton, TX, this public research university had approximately 37,800 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and offered over 200 programs, giving University of North Texas first place for most program variety in the area. According to U.S. News & World Report, several unique program options offered at this school included jazz studies and aviation logistics. NCES listed that some of the most popular bachelor's degree programs in 2011-2012 (based on degrees awarded) included business, interdisciplinary studies, social sciences and visual & performing arts. Master's degrees in library science, education and business were commonly earned during that same time, while doctoral students earning degrees in education, visual & performing arts and computer science were the most prevalent. In addition to those degree levels, undergraduate certificates were available in areas such as drug & alcohol studies, international business and sports journalism, while postgraduate certificates were offered in areas such as business, education, computer science, interdisciplinary studies and library science. During that year, 6,459 bachelor's degrees were awarded, along with 2,240 graduate degrees and 310 postgraduate certificates.

2 - Texas Woman's University

Situated in the heart of Denton, TX, Texas Woman's University held second place and offered about 100 programs to its student population of approximately 14,700. This public research university is coeducational, although enrolled students were primarily female. Popular bachelor's degrees in 2011-2012, according to NCES, included health professions, liberal arts and interdisciplinary studies. Master's degrees commonly earned included business and education, in addition to health professions at the master's, doctoral and postgraduate certificate levels.

3 - North Lake College

A 2-year school based about 26 miles away, in Irving, TX, North Lake College is part of the Dallas County Community College District. Over 11,800 students attended North Lake College and chose from approximately 66 programs, making this school third in program variety in the area near Denton. Liberal arts and business associate's degrees were commonly earned in 2011-2012, stated NCES, while business, electrician and computer science certificates were most popular. A total of 1,094 associate's degrees were conferred that year, along with 207 certificates.

Lowest Net Cost

The net cost is calculated by NCES for full-time beginning students at U.S. colleges and universities through subtracting the financial aid awards from the total cost of attendance. Net costs for public and private non-profit schools in the Denton area ranged from about $5,000 to almost $9,640. The following information detailed the ranking of the three schools with the lowest net costs in 2010-2011.

1 - North Lake College

The most affordable school, according to NCES, was North Lake College, with an average net cost of $5,002. The tuition and fees charge in 2012-2013 for in-district students was $1,350, in-state was $2,490 and out-of-state students paid $3,960. In 2010-2011, NCES reported that 51% of this school's full-time beginning students received some type of financial aid.

2 - Texas Woman's University

Second place in the area of budget management went to Texas Woman's University, which had an average net cost of $7,868, per NCES. A large portion of the students, at over 90% of full-time beginning undergraduates, received financial aid in 2010-2011. In-state students in 2012-2013 paid $7,050 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students paid $17,082. Students residing on campus paid $6,930 for room and board that same year.

3 - University of North Texas

The third most affordable school near Denton was University of North Texas, with an average net cost of $9,639, according to NCES. The tuition and fees total for in-state students in 2012-2013 was $8,357 and $16,781 for those attending from outside the state. Room and board costs for students living on campus at that same time were $7,150. NCES noted that financial aid was awarded to 85% of the full-time beginning undergraduate students at this school in 2010-2011.

Highest Graduation Rate

Figures reported by NCES reflect the overall rates for full-time, first-time students who graduated within 150% of the typical completion time, such as six years for a bachelor's degree or three years for an associate's degree. Graduation rates at the public and private non-profit schools varied widely in the Denton area, possibly due to the distinction between universities and community colleges.

1 - University of North Texas

The highest graduation rate near Denton can be observed at University of North Texas, where 49% of the students who began working towards bachelor's degrees in 2005 graduated within six years and 21% within four years, according to NCES. In addition, of students who enrolled in 2010, 78% of the full-time students and 61% of the part-time students returned to school in 2011.

2 - Texas Woman's University

This school had the second highest graduation rate in the area, at 39% completion in six years and 18% in four years, for students beginning work on bachelor's degrees in 2005. NCES also revealed that retention rates showed 68% of the full-time students and 56 % of the part-time students who started their studies in 2010 returned in the fall of 2011.

3 - North Lake College

NCES noted the third highest graduation rate of 9% for students at North Lake College, who started in fall 2008, along with a 44% transfer-out rate. In the fall of 2011, 57% of the full-time students and 44% of the part-time students who had enrolled the previous year returned to resume their studies.

Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio

Among Denton's public and private non-profit institutions, the following three had the lowest student-faculty ratios. They ranged from 18:1 to 28:1, with the smallest school showing the highest ratio.

1 - Texas Woman's University

This university had the lowest student-faculty ratio in the Denton area, at 18:1, according to NCES. In 2011, the faculty was comprised of 401 full-time members, 368 part-time instructors and 510 part-time graduate assistants. According to U.S. News and World Report, 29.7 % of this school's classes had less than 20 students, in 2011.

2 - University of North Texas

Coming in second, with a student-faculty ratio of 21:1, according to NCES, University of North Texas employed 1,073 full-time instructional faculty, 408 part-time teachers and 1,232 part-time graduate assistants, in 2011. U.S. News and World Report noted that same year that 30.6% of this school's classes has less than 20 students.

3 - North Lake College

The third lowest student-faculty ratio belonged to North Lake College and rested at 28:1, said NCES. In fall 2011, the faculty was comprised of 108 full-time members and 363 part-time instructors. According to this school's website in 2013, the average class size was 14.

Denton Area Schools at a Glance

School Name	Location	School Type	Degrees Offered	Area Ranking
North Lake College	Irving, TX (26 miles from Denton)	2-year, public	Undergraduate certificates; associate's degrees	Lowest Net Cost, 3rd Most Program Variety, 3rd Highest Graduation Rate, 3rd Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio
Texas Woman's University	Denton, TX	4-year, public	Bachelor's, master's and doctor's degrees; postbaccalaureate and post-master's certificates	Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, 2nd Most Program Variety, 2nd Lowest Net Cost, 2nd Highest Graduation Rate
University of North Texas	Denton, TX	4-year, public	Undergraduate certificates; bachelor's, master's and doctor's degrees; postbaccalaureate certificates	Most Program Variety, Highest Graduation Rate, 2nd Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, 3rd Lowest Net Cost