Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofitHSI

Houston Christian University

Houston, Texas·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southwest·hc.edu
6-yr Graduation
49%
-5.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
4,276
peer median 2,921
Avg net price
$20,629
-$1.2k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeResearch funding

About

Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University (HBU), is a private university in Houston, Texas, United States. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Its Cultural Arts Center houses three museums: the Dunham Bible Museum, the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts, and the Museum of Southern History.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
8,455
8,455 candidates competed
Admitted
7,139
84.4% acceptance rate
Enrolled
751
10.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
49%-5.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
38%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
49%
Full-time retention
69%

Pell equity

10.8pp gap
Pell recipients
44%121 of 274
Non-Pell (all)
55%130 of 237
Subsidized loan, no Pell
49%39 of 80
No Federal Aid
58%91 of 157

Non-Pell students graduate at a 10.8-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 97 Title IV programs, 15 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 82 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
97
Passing
15
15.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

97programs
  • Passing15 · 15.5%
  • No Data82 · 84.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
15
No data
82

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

15
Human Resources Management and Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+29.9%
$79,024 vs $60,823
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+31.1%
$60,834 vs $46,391
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+33.1%
$59,295 vs $44,535
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+37.3%
$45,718 vs $33,298
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+43.2%
$69,658 vs $48,653
International Business
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+45.8%
$88,650 vs $60,823
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+50.2%
$69,694 vs $46,391
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+53.2%
$71,086 vs $46,391

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

14
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
80%
$55,433 debt · $69,658 earn
Psychology General
Master's Degree · Psychology
71%
$53,084 debt · $75,052 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
67%
$39,792 debt · $59,295 earn
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
62%
$37,796 debt · $60,834 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
59%
$41,000 debt · $69,694 earn
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies General
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
49%
$26,520 debt · $54,696 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
47%
$25,000 debt · $53,021 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
47%
$21,500 debt · $45,718 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1968Next review Jun 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 19

  1. Nov 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Feb 2025Grant Substantive Change: Degree
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Feb 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Dec 2024Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
  5. Nov 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$17,933
$30–48k$18,998
$48–75k$19,803
$75–110k$24,079
$110k+$28,640

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$20,629
-$1,248vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $21,878
Federal loans
58.5%
In-state tuition
$39,430
Out-of-state
$39,430

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 2,249 students received $12.5M in Pell grants, alongside $39.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,249
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$12.5M
$12,474,017 total
Direct Loans
$39.6M
4,455 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
’20
2k
’21
2k
’22
2k
’23
2k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$7.7M
1,750 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$6.6M
1,521 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$18.5M
878 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.9M
201 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.9M
105 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 970 borrowers who entered repayment, 10 (1.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.0%
-1.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
970
Defaulted
10
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.1%
2017
7.9%
2018
6.1%
2019
1.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Houston Christian

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs100
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

860 total completions
01Health Professions
21525.0%
02Business
16819.5%
03Psychology
11012.8%
04Education
718.3%
05Parks/Recreation
698.0%
06Multi/Interdisciplinary
546.3%
07Theology
505.8%
08Biological Sciences
475.5%
09Visual/Performing Arts
465.3%
10Engineering
303.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
4,276
12-mo unduplicated
5,793
Undergraduate
3,878
Graduate
1,915

Gender split

Men
36%2,081
Women
64%3,712

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
38.7%
Black
24.1%
White
15.8%
Unknown
8.8%
Asian
5.5%
Non-resident
4.0%
Two or more
2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
230
180 M · 50 W
Women athletes
21.7%
Athletic aid
$9.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$20.4M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$5.9M
$3.8M
Recruiting expense
$131K
$66K
Head-coach salaries
$96K
$77K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
65 M · 75 W
$2.0M
Football
119 M · —
$5.9M
Soccer
31 M · 25 W
$2.0M
Baseball
41 M · —
$1.2M
Basketball
15 M · 14 W
$2.9M
Softball
— · 21 W
$975K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.95
4 offenses · 4,189 students

3-year trend

3.402 yrs ago3.521 yr ago0.95Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
33
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
3
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
3
Rape
1

By location

4total
  • On campus4

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs08
Liquor04

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
18.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
116

Houston Christian vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Houston Christian selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectHouston Christian University
49%—4,276$20,629Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
St. Mary's University
59%97.8%3,456$21,145Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Wayland Baptist University
19%56.0%2,809$20,590Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Saint Edward's University
63%81.4%3,033$25,578Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Parker University
50%—2,308$29,135Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Dallas
73%53.4%2,078$22,610Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median54%68.7%2,921$21,878

Institutions like Houston Christian

Explore the federal data for institutions in Houston Christian's comparison group.

IPEDS

Houston Christian Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Team
1 member
  • Dr. Amy McGilvray
    Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness

Research funding

External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.

NSF
USA Spending
$9,241,826
All sources
$9,241,826

Frequently asked questions about Houston Christian University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Houston Christian.

What is the graduation rate at Houston Christian University?

Houston Christian University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 49% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Houston Christian University?

Houston Christian University reports a total enrollment of 4,276 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Houston Christian University?

The average net price at Houston Christian University is $20,629 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Houston Christian University?

Houston Christian University's yield rate is 10.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Houston Christian University located?

Houston Christian University is located in Houston, Texas 77074-3298.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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