Dallas, Texas Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Dallas, Texas: median public in-state tuition $17,692 (+221.0% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $42,797 (-21.3% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 87.6% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $12,785 (-3.7% vs U.S.) 62,146 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 31 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 62,146 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $17,692 (+221.0% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $42,797 (-21.3% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 87.6% (-0.4 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $22,774 (+128.4% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $12,785 (-3.7% vs U.S. $13,271); regional median $11,004
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 50.0%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 64.4%
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Full profile payload including top-college lists and peer comparisons.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Dallas serve students across Texas with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 31 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 62,146 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $17,692. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Dallas, Texas and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Dallas vs Texas & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, Texas | $17,692 | $22,774 | $12,785 | 50.0% | 62,146 |
| Texas (state median) | $3,555 | $8,031 | $10,652 | 45.0% | 1,240,605 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Dallas, Texas vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, Texas | $42,797 | 87.6% | 64.4% | 5.8% | — | 63.4% | 0.34 |
| Texas (state median) | $54,338 | 89.8% | 69.6% | 6.9% | — | 69.4% | 0.40 |
| United States | $54,384 | 88.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Texas (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, Texas | $17,692 | $22,774 | $12,785 | 50.0% | 62,146 | $42,797 | 87.6% |
| Houston | $12,445 | $19,626 | $11,533 | 46.7% | 137,452 | $59,224 | 87.5% |
| San Antonio | $11,707 | $20,465 | $9,500 | 50.5% | 111,767 | $56,844 | 90.7% |
| Austin | $23,500 | $21,991 | $9,120 | 44.6% | 82,274 | $59,854 | 89.8% |
| Fort Worth | $11,934 | $24,181 | $15,500 | 31.5% | 57,100 | $61,238 | 90.7% |
| El Paso | $9,744 | $16,242 | $11,000 | 65.5% | 50,598 | $50,923 | 89.2% |
| The Woodlands | $5,525 | $11,566 | $8,600 | 60.6% | 45,417 | N/A | N/A |
| Denton | $9,974 | $15,649 | $19,218 | 54.9% | 43,336 | $56,777 | 90.6% |
| San Marcos | $11,450 | $16,780 | $14,458 | 55.3% | 36,289 | $56,906 | 91.0% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 | $54,384 | 88.0% |
Outcomes by sector in Dallas, Texas
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private nonprofit | 5 | $43,503 | 88.9% | 50.0% | 5.4% | — | 65.3% |
Top 5 colleges in Dallas, Texas by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 84.3%, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 74.1%, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 3, Graduation Rate, 57.0%, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 4, Graduation Rate, 41.6%, University of North Texas at Dallas
University of North Texas at Dallas
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Rank 5, Graduation Rate, 26.9%, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
Top 5 colleges in Dallas, Texas by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 89.3%, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 88.9%, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 86.2%, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 85.3%, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 79.2%, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Top 5 most selective colleges in Dallas, Texas (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 40.3%, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 63.3%, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 3, Admission Rate, 84.5%, University of North Texas at Dallas
University of North Texas at Dallas
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Rank 4, Admission Rate, 88.8%, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 5, Admission Rate, 100.0%, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Top 4 colleges in Dallas, Texas by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $93,679, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $85,169, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
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Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $54,594, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 4, Entry-Level Earnings, $53,632, Parker University
Parker University
Top 5 colleges in Dallas, Texas by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $133,852, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $103,694, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $87,378, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
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Rank 4, Early-Career Earnings, $61,327, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 5, Early-Career Earnings, $61,083, University of North Texas at Dallas
University of North Texas at Dallas
Top 6 colleges in Dallas, Texas by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $65,556, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $51,716, University of North Texas at Dallas
University of North Texas at Dallas
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $45,138, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $44,181, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $32,840, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $27,021, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
Top 5 colleges in Dallas, Texas by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $77,799, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $51,508, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $47,479, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $33,491, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $29,596, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
Top 5 colleges in Dallas, Texas by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $78,354, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $56,807, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $42,091, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $34,657, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $29,288, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
Top 7 colleges in Dallas, Texas by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $226,480, University of North Texas at Dallas
University of North Texas at Dallas
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $167,003, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $113,354, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $96,370, Dallas Christian College
Dallas Christian College
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $80,110, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $78,691, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $-24,212, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Top 6 most affordable colleges in Dallas, Texas (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $6,420, University of North Texas at Dallas
University of North Texas at Dallas
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Rank 2, Net Price, $12,709, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
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Rank 3, Net Price, $28,516, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 4, Net Price, $29,135, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 5, Net Price, $38,488, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
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Rank 6, Net Price, $40,892, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Top 6 colleges in Dallas, Texas by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 90.5%, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 68.8%, Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas
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Rank 3, First-Year Retention, 65.4%, University of North Texas at Dallas
University of North Texas at Dallas
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Rank 4, First-Year Retention, 64.4%, Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
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Rank 5, First-Year Retention, 50.0%, Parker University
Parker University
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Rank 6, First-Year Retention, 49.0%, Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College
In-state tuition: Dallas, Texas vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Dallas, Texas median in-state tuition is $17,692, +221.0% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Dallas, Texas vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Dallas, Texas is $12,785 (-3.7% vs U.S. median $13,271). Regional median: $11,004.
Median earnings (10 years out): Dallas, Texas vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Dallas, Texas center around $42,797 (-21.3% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Dallas, Texas vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 87.6% at the median Dallas, Texas campus (-0.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Dallas, Texas median public in-state tuition is $17,692, about +221.0% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is +380.0%.
Median graduate debt is $12,785 (-3.7% below the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Dallas, Texas are $42,797, about -21.3% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).
The median campus reports 87.6% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (-0.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 64.4% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 5.8% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 63.4% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Dallas Baptist University (89.3%), Southern Methodist University (88.9%), Paul Quinn College (86.2%), Parker University (85.3%), Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas (79.2%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Dallas, Texas, sector medians diverge: Private nonprofit median 10-yr earnings $43,503 (5 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Dallas, Texas is 50.0% (national institution average about 50.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Dallas?
This city profile covers 31 campuses in Dallas, Texas with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Dallas?
Median in-state tuition in Dallas is $17,692 and median net price is $22,774. For Texas overall, medians are $3,555 and $8,031; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,969.
What do graduates earn in Dallas?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Dallas is $42,797 vs $54,338 for Texas and $54,384 nationally.
What is student debt like for Dallas colleges?
Median completer debt in Dallas is $12,785 vs $10,652 for Texas and $13,271 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Dallas?
Top campuses on this page include Southern Methodist University (graduation) and Southern Methodist University (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Dallas?
Among 32 campuses in Dallas, Texas, 1 historically Black college or university (HBCU, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Paul Quinn College; 8 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Dallas Christian College, Dallas College, and Graham's Barber College; 6 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Baptist (1), Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (1), Undenominational (1).
Sources & related
- Texas college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON