UH: the complete school report for parents

What does UH actually weigh in admissions?

UH rates none of the 18 factors "Very Important". It does not consider 9 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is UH's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

52% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.46 on a 4 scale, reported for 97.86% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

UH admitted 88.4% of 8,358 transfer applicants, against 75.8% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.5.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

UH offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.

What will UH actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $14,276 a year at UH after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $10,856. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 56.9% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 494 merit awards averaging $3,779 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

43% of UH graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $22,495 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $193 a month in repayment. UH’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from UH pay off?

Graduates earn a median $62,377 ten years after entering, and $52,768 at six years. 81% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 62% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$107,025 to $36,529, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at UH:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

86% of first-years return for a second year. 66% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 63.5% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 68.2% of everyone else, a gap of 4.7 points.

How big are the classes?

33% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 10% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 22:1, and 80% of faculty are full-time. Both are true at once: 10% of sections seat 100 or more, and those are the introductory lectures. Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

What is life at UH like?

40,366 undergraduates, 3% of first-years from out of state. 36% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 16% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 3% of men join a fraternity and 4% of women a sorority. 40% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $68,874.

What this means for your student

• 52% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.46. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• Its highest-earning major returns $107,025 five years out against $36,529 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about UH

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