College affordability: UHCL among Texas universities with low tuition costs and fees

There are approximately 261 colleges and universities in the state of Texas and around 4,360 colleges in the United States. Texas comes in as the number four state with the highest number of higher education institutions. With so many choices for incoming and returning students, it is important that the University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) be competitive and reasonable with their tuition and fees costs.

The price of going to college in the state of Texas increased by 25 percent from 2010 to 2018. When comparing increases from 2012 to 2018, UHCL increased by 23.5 percent. Stephen F. Austin (SFA) actually showed a decrease in tuition of 3.2 percent. Texas Southern University (TSU) increased by 16.3 percent, the University of Houston (UH) increased by 18.5 percent and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) increased by 6.1 percent.

Even though UHCL increased by 23.5 percent, which is less than the state average of 25 percent, the university still remains one of the most affordable universities in the state. When looking year-by-year, UHCL increased 3.2 percent from 2016 to 2017 and has continued to increase by 3.2 percent for each year since. It is projected to continue at this rate through 2022 while remaining competitive with other Texas colleges.

So, how do percentages relate to dollars and how do the costs of attending UHCL compare to other Texas colleges. One of the factors attracting students to UHCL is the competitive cost of tuition and fees. Average tuition for 15 credit hours is $3,645 and fees total $785. Compare this to SFA whose tuition for the same number of hours is $3,630, but fees are $1,513. TSU also has slightly lower tuition than UHCL; however, their fees are $1,618. UT Austin shows average tuition as $5,810 per semester based on 12 credit hours with no fees charged and UH runs $5,752 per semester plus $501 in fees.

Another important economic factor is the ancillary charges that come with commuting to college, one of those being the price of parking. UHCL offers year-round parking for $85.00. The price of parking at SFA is $158.00, TSU is $80.00, UH is $370.00 and UTA is $216.00. This difference in parking rates may or may not deter a student from attending a particular college, but it certainly makes a difference in the overall college financial obligation. This is especially true when you consider the continual rise in college tuition.

The quality of education received from UHCL exceeds that of other comparable universities. For example, the average student-to-teacher ratio at UHCL is 15-to-1. Other schools have ratios ranging from 18-to-1 all the way up to 22-to-1. The quality of education is also evidenced by the fact that astronauts, CEO’s, and writers represent some of the alumni coming from this school.

Students who attend UHCL are definitely getting their money’s worth. They receive a good quality education, do not have to worry about walking miles to get from the parking lot to their classes, and can enjoy the beauty surrounding the campus. And while tuition and fees continue to increase, UHCL is putting that money to good use. UHCL recently added a new STEM building for science, technology, engineering and math. They also recently opened a state-of-the-art Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, giving free access to this facility to enrolled students. The campus also has plans to open a new residence hall this fall. All of these additions and improvements make UHCL a very attractive university.