Texas Tech University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Arlington, Texas · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Texas Tech University is a public university in Arlington, Texas that admits about 81% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $15,235 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Biology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 1.8 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Texas Tech University is a public institution located in Arlington, Texas. For the most recent reporting cycle, Texas Tech University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 81%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1116 and an ACT composite around 23. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,235 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Texas Tech University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Texas Tech University?
Texas Tech University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Texas Tech University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 490–610, with an EBRW midpoint near 555. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 18–26. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | — |
| 50th percentile | 1116 |
| 75th percentile | — |
| 25th percentile | 18 |
| 50th percentile | 23 |
| 75th percentile | 26 |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
How much does Texas Tech University actually cost?
Published tuition is $11,728 for in-state students and $29,660 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $10,582 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $15,235 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 40% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| Average net price (after aid) | $15,235 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Texas Tech University
Most popular majors at Texas Tech University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Texas Tech University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Biology, General. Across all programs, Texas Tech University confers roughly 5,206 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $97,855 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 3,249 | $97,855 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 401 | $65,488 |
| Biology, General | 289 | $58,980 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 285 | $70,757 |
| Marketing | 260 | $63,236 |
| Social Work | 244 | $48,365 |
| Psychology, General | 241 | $49,817 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 237 | $55,901 |
Is Texas Tech University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Texas Tech University disclosed 57 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.8 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 4 violent offenses and 10 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Texas parents ask about
- Rice University29% acceptance
- University of Texas at Austin63% acceptance
- Texas A&M University-College Station8% acceptance
- Southern Methodist University89% acceptance
- Baylor University85% acceptance
- Texas Christian University71% acceptance
- University of Houston97% acceptance
- Texas State University88% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Texas Tech University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Texas Tech University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Texas Tech University
What GPA do I need for Texas Tech University?
Texas Tech University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Texas Tech University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 490–610, with an EBRW midpoint near 555. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 18–26.
How much does Texas Tech University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Texas Tech University after grants and scholarships is $15,235 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Texas Tech University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Texas Tech University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Texas Tech University?
Texas Tech University accepts about 81% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Texas Tech University test-optional?
No. Texas Tech University requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
Is Texas Tech University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Texas Tech University is a public institution located in Arlington, Texas.
What are the most popular majors at Texas Tech University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Texas Tech University by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Biology, General. The school awards about 5,206 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Texas Tech University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Texas Tech University reported 57 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 1.8 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Texas Tech University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.