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University of North Texas logo
Public Denton, TX · Urban · Southwest · 100% data
A Diversity B+ Earnings B- Value
Graduation Rate
60% C
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$57,010 B+
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$15,649 C+
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
72% C+
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +40% vs avg
Graduation +5% vs avg
Net Price +-9% vs avg
Mobility Top 50%

Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 23.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $23.7 over 20 years. Ranked #3 in Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Texas.

23.7× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $23.7 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,420,130.

What The Data Says

  1. A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Earnings 40% above the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $23.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Economic Footprint

Inventor Rate
0.2%
Top 76%
Patents
31
Linked to graduates
Patent Citations
58
Downstream influence

Why University of North Texas Matters

University of North Texas is a public research university in Denton, TX and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a top-tier research enterprise and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Research University
Carnegie Class
R1 · Very High Research
Enrollment
34,341
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Visual & Performing Arts, Psychology, Computer Science & IT

Why students choose University of North Texas

Top-tier research university
R1 status: undergraduates work alongside leading researchers
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Business & Marketing
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

B-
Top 34% overall
B+
Earnings
$57,010 median
B-
Value
3.6× net price
C+
Affordability
$15,649/yr net
C
Graduation
60% graduate
C
Social Mobility
1.5% climb Q1→Q5
C+
Selectivity
72% admit rate
A
Diversity
0.75 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With an enrollment of over 34,000 students, the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, is a vibrant place for those interested in fields like Business & Marketing, Visual & Performing Arts, and Psychology. The school's acceptance rate of 72% suggests it welcomes a diverse range of applicants, making it a fitting choice for students seeking a supportive environment where they can explore various disciplines while fostering their passions.

After graduation, students can expect their hard work to pay off. With a median earning of about $57,010 ten years post-graduation, many find a stable career path that allows them to thrive. Affordability plays a role, too; around 38% of students receive Pell Grants, which is a strong indicator of the school's commitment to helping those from lower-income backgrounds. This financial support can help ease the transition into the workforce.

When we look at the bottom line, the net price for students after financial aid is around $15,649, while the median debt upon graduation stands at $19,250. These figures suggest a manageable financial landscape for many students, particularly those who are proactive about seeking aid. Those who tend to thrive here are often self-motivated and engaged, ready to make the most of their educational experience in a community that values both academic achievement and personal growth.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective University of North Texas is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into University of North Texas? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Denton, Texas, University of North Texas admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 72%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,109. The graduation rate is roughly 60%.

Acceptance Rate
72%
Retention Rate
77%
SAT Average
1109
ACT Midpoint
23
SAT Range
980–1230
ACT Range
19–27
Full-Time Faculty
72%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$11,092
Student–Faculty Ratio
23:1
Diversity Index
0.75
First-Gen Students
35%
Applicants
32,016
Admitted
25,335

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26

The acceptance rate tells you how hard University of North Texas is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 22% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.

Yield Rate
22%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
40%
of enrolled freshmen
Submitted ACT
8%
of enrolled freshmen

Test-optional, in practice. Only about 48% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.

Source: University of North Texas's Common Data Set, 2025-26 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of North Texas? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of North Texas is $21,149, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,649. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,311 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $19,250 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$11,309
Out-of-State
$21,149
Avg Net Price
$15,649
Median Debt
$19,250
Pell Grant Rate
38%
Federal Loan Rate
36%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$12,311
Family Income $30K–$48K
$12,668
Family Income $48K–$75K
$14,473
Family Income $110K+
$22,943

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at University of North Texas — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is University of North Texas Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of North Texas earn a median of $57,010, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$46,304
8 Years
$51,890
10 Years
$57,010
Debt-to-Earnings
0.34x
Earning > $25K
70%

Earnings Trajectory

$46,304 6yr $51,890 8yr $57,010 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (1,565)
37%
100% (1,565)
37%
100% (1,565)
37%
100% (1,565)
37%

How University Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation60%Earnings 10yr$57KNet Price$16KRetention77%Median Debt$19KPell Grant Rate38%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$12K$0-30K$13K$30-48K$14K$48-75K$23K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%6.4%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%22.8%MOBILITY1.46%

College ROI Calculator

Is University of North Texas Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, University of North Texas delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $15,649/year ($62,596 total). Graduates earn $57,010 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,482,726 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,420,130 (23.7× your investment). The median debt is $19,250, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 60% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$62,596
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,482,726
Net Return
$1,420,130
ROI Multiple
23.7×
Cost Per Year
$15,649
Median Debt
$19,250
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
60%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does University of North Texas Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

University of North Texas is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.46%, well above the typical college. About 6.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 22.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $98,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.46%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
22.8%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
6.4%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$134,099
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is University of North Texas? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of North Texas. Its economic connectedness score is 1.57, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.57
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
7.0%
Support Ratio
0.97
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

University of North Texas produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 31 patents tied to its graduates.

Inventor Rate
0.20%
Top 76% nationally
Patents Produced
31
Linked to graduates
Patent Citations
58
Downstream influence

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Top Programs

The fields University of North Texas awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into University of North Texas? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Denton, Texas, University of North Texas admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 72%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,109. The graduation rate is roughly 60%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of North Texas? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of North Texas is $21,149, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,649. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,311 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $19,250 in federal student loans.

Is University of North Texas Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of North Texas earn a median of $57,010, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does University of North Texas Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

University of North Texas is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.46%, well above the typical college. About 6.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 22.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $98,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is University of North Texas? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of North Texas. Its economic connectedness score is 1.57, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Does University of North Texas offer Early Decision?

No. University of North Texas does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2025-26 Common Data Set).

Is University of North Texas really test-optional?

In practice, yes. Only about 48% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at University of North Texas (2025-26 Common Data Set).

What percentage of admitted students enroll at University of North Texas?

About 22% of admitted students choose to enroll at University of North Texas — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys