Huntsville, Texas (TX) Colleges and Universities

While there is only one school in Huntsville, there are two other schools located within a fifty-mile radius. Read about the top schools in several categories, including most program variety and lowest costs, to find the school for you.

View 8 Popular Schools »

Most Program Variety

Students in the Huntsville area will need to expand their search to 50 miles outside of the city to locate a handful of educational opportunities. The schools these students will find are both two-year and four-year institutions. The following are the schools ranked in order of program options.

1 - Texas A&M University

Located in College Station, students will find a plethora of degree programs offered at Texas A&M University. However, students will need to travel approximately 48 miles away from Huntsville to attend classes. Students at Texas A&M can choose among 120 undergraduate programs and 240 graduate-level programs. In 2011, the school's biological and agricultural engineering program was ranked first by U.S. News & World Report. Other notable programs include plant microbiology, accounting and civil engineering. In the 2011-2012 academic year, Texas A&M conferred over 9,000 bachelor's degree, over 2,100 master's degrees and 790 doctoral degrees.

2 - Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University is the only school students will find within Huntsville. Students at Sam Houston State University will find approximately 171 programs. This includes over 80 bachelor's degree programs, more than 50 master's degree programs and 6 doctoral degree programs. The selection is rounded out by more than 15 certificate programs and more than 20 online degree programs. Some of the more popular programs offered at Sam Houston State include animal sciences, agricultural science, business, media studies and criminal justice. In 2011-2012, Sam Houston State students completed 2,978 bachelor's degrees programs, 894 master's degree programs and 53 doctoral programs.

3 - Lone Star College System

Approximately 39 miles away from Huntsville is the Lone Star College System. Located in The Woodlands, students will find 78 associate degree and certificate programs. The school features instruction in agriculture sciences, business administration, visual arts, education, manufacturing, finance, marketing and technology. The college also features popular programs in nursing, mechanical repair technologies and industrial technology. In 2011-2012, the school conferred 4,208 associate degrees and 1,427 certificates.

Lowest Net Price

NCES determines the average net cost for U.S. colleges and universities by subtracting the amount of government or institutional financial aid that students receive from the total cost of attendance. The net price of these three Huntsville-area schools ranges from approximately $4,500 to over $11,000. The following three schools had the lowest reported net prices for 2010-2011.

1 - Lone Star College System

Out of all of the schools near Huntsville, Lone Star College System was determined to have the lowest net cost for students. The NCES reports that in the 2010-2011 academic year, the net cost to attend Lone Star College was $4,508. This includes tuition, supplies and books. In 2012-2013, in-district tuition was $1,408, while students that lived in California, but outside the district paid $3,088 for tuition. Out-of-state students paid $3,448. Room and board cost an additional $7,598. According to the NCES, in 2010-2011, approximately 56% of full-time first year students received financial aid.

2 - Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University has the second lowest net cost to attend. Students at Sam Houston University spent approximately $7,736 to attend classes and purchase books and supplies in 2010-2011. The NCES reports that 2012-2013 in-state undergraduate tuition was $6,608, while out-of state undergraduate tuition was priced at $15,032. Graduate students that live in the state paid approximately $4,266 for tuition while graduate students from outside Texas paid about $10,584. Students that plan to live on campus can expect to pay around $8,092 for room and board. Off-campus housing is priced at around $8,608. The NCES also reports that in 2010-2011, 81% full-time starting students received financial aid from sources like grants, scholarships and federal loans.

3 - Texas A&M University

Out of the three schools, Texas A&M University has the highest net cost. In 2010-2011, the NCES reports that students paid an average of $11,550 to take classes, buy books and purchase other supplies. Approximately 78% of these students receive some kind of financial aid help. In 2012-2013, undergraduate students from Texas paid approximately $8,506 in tuition costs. Out-of-state students paid closer to $25,035. Graduate students interested in Texas A&M paid $5,437 for in-state tuition while out-of-state tuition was $13,861. In 2012-2013, on-campus and off-campus room and board cost $8,400.

Highest Graduation Rate

On average, the Huntsville area four-year schools boast higher graduation rates than their two-year counterpart. This data is reported by the NCES, who studies graduation rates according to the amount of time it takes students to complete their degree programs. For example, the NCES provides different rates for students who take 150% of normal time, as well as those who take up to 200% of normal time, to finish their programs. The following three schools have the highest graduation rates in the Huntsville area.

1 - Texas A&M University

Texas A&M has the highest overall graduation rate of schools in the Huntsville region. The NCES reports that 81% of students that began their studies at the university in 2005 successfully obtained their degree. The NCES also reports that 13% of students end up transferring out of the school before they are finished. However, only 50% of graduating students complete their four-year degrees within four-years. About 81% of these students took two or four extra years to complete their studies. The NCES also reports that full-time students have an 92% retention rate for bachelor's degree students.

2 - Sam Houston State University

The school with the second highest graduation rate in or around Huntsville is Sam Houston State University. According to the NCES, 50% of students who began their degree programs in the fall of 2005 successfully completed their programs. 27% of these students completed their degree programs on time. 50% completed a four-year degree within six years. The school also boasts a 73% retention rate for undergraduate students.

3 - Lone Star College System

The Lone Star College system has the lowest graduation rate of the three schools in the Huntsville area. According to NCES reports, only 10% of students that began their degree in 2008 actually graduated, while 24% transferred out of their programs. According to the NCES, 4% graduated in the normal time it took to complete their programs, while 10% took 150% of the normal graduation time. Additionally, the NCES reports that the school retains 69% of its full-time students and 91% of its part-time students.

Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio

The Huntsville region includes three larger schools. All three schools have comparable student-faculty ratios of around 21 or 22 students per faculty member. The three Huntsville-area schools' student faculty-ratios are ranked as follows.

1 - Lone Star College System

The Lone Star College System has a student-faculty ratio of 21:1. The school employed 745 full-time faculty members in 2011. However, the majority of faculty members employed by the school are part-time instructors. According to the NCES, during 2011, 3,474 part-time instructors worked for the Lone Star College System. All of these faculty members were hired to teach. The school does not hire research and public service faculty.

2 - Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University also has a student-faculty ratio of 21:1. However, according to the NCES, in 2011 Texas A&M employed 2,362 full-time faculty members and only 104 part-time faculty. Out of the full-time faculty members, 2,344 were hired as instructional faculty and 18 held the research of public service designation. Four part-time faculty members were classified as research or public service faculty, while the remaining 100 were instructional faculty.

3 - Sam Houston State University

The NCES reports that Sam Houston State University has the highest student-faculty ratio of these three schools. The university has a 22:1 student-faculty ratio. The university employed 601 full-time faculty in 2011. The school also employed 170 part-time faculty members during the same year. The NCES also points out that 161 part-time faculty members were designated as instructional faculty.

Huntsville Area Schools at a Glance

School Name	Location	School Type	Degree/Program Levels Offered	Area Ranking
Lone Star College System	Woodlands (About 39 miles from downtown Huntsville)	2-year, public	Less than 1-year certificates, 1-year-2-year certificates; Associate degrees	Lowest Net Cost, Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, 3rd Highest Program Variety
Sam Houston State University	Huntsville	4-year, public	Post baccalaureate certificate; Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees, Doctor's degrees	2nd Highest Program Variety, 2nd Lowest Net Cost, 2nd Highest Graduation Rate, 3rd Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio
Texas A&M University	College Station (About 48 miles from downtown Huntsville)	4-year, public	Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees, Doctor's degrees	Highest Graduation Rate, Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, Highest Program Variety, 3rd Lowest Net Cost