Fort Worth, Texas Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Fort Worth, Texas shows: median public in-state tuition $11,934 (+116.5% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $61,238 (+12.7% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 90.7% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $15,500 (+15.4% vs U.S.) 57,100 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 10 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 57,100 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $11,934 (+116.5% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $61,238 (+12.7% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 90.7% (+2.7 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $24,181 (+142.6% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $15,500 (+15.4% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $11,012
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 31.5%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 76.8%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Fort Worth, Texas—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Texas and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Fort Worth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth, Texas | $11,934 | $24,181 | $15,500 | 31.5% | 57,100 |
| Texas (state median) | $3,555 | $8,031 | $10,667 | 45.2% | 1,239,434 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Fort Worth, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth, Texas | $61,238 | 90.7% | 76.8% | 5.0% | — | 69.2% | 0.37 |
| Texas (state median) | $54,274 | 89.8% | 69.6% | 6.9% | — | 69.1% | 0.40 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth, Texas | $11,934 | $24,181 | $15,500 | 31.5% | 57,100 | $61,238 | 90.7% |
| Houston | $13,920 | $19,701 | $12,000 | 46.7% | 137,564 | $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% |
| Dallas | $17,666 | $22,800 | $13,000 | 45.8% | 62,329 | $42,091 | 86.2% |
| El Paso | $9,744 | $15,578 | $11,000 | 65.5% | 50,606 | $50,923 | 89.2% |
| Denton | $9,974 | $15,649 | $19,218 | 54.9% | 43,336 | $56,777 | 90.6% |
| Lubbock | $20,196 | $21,763 | $12,618 | 60.0% | 35,638 | $62,454 | 92.4% |
| Arlington | $16,390 | $22,520 | $8,505 | 36.7% | 34,674 | $53,922 | 88.6% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, 85.5%, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 31.5%, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, 92.9%, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 88.5%, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 most selective colleges in Fort Worth, 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, 44.5%, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 69.2%, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, $78,453, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $59,399, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, $121,734, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $71,296, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, $60,435, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $44,773, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, $67,491, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,274, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, $68,424, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $54,053, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, $160,616, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $149,797, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Fort Worth, 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, $24,066, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
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Rank 2, Net Price, $36,660, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Top 10 colleges in Fort Worth, 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, 92.9%, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 60.8%, Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
In-state tuition: Fort Worth, Texas vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Fort Worth, Texas median in-state tuition is $11,934, +116.5% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Fort Worth, Texas vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Fort Worth, Texas is $15,500 (+15.4% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $11,012.
Median earnings (10 years out): Fort Worth, Texas vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Fort Worth, Texas center around $61,238 (+12.7% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Fort Worth, Texas vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 90.7% at the median Fort Worth, Texas campus (+2.7 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
Fort Worth, Texas median public in-state tuition is $11,934, about +116.5% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is +223.8%.
Median graduate debt is $15,500 (+15.4% above the U.S. median of $13,432). 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 Fort Worth, Texas are $61,238, about +12.7% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 90.7% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (+2.7 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 76.8% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 5.0% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 69.2% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Texas Christian University (92.9%), Texas Wesleyan University (88.5%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Fort Worth, Texas is 31.5% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Fort Worth?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 10 campuses in Fort Worth, Texas with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Fort Worth?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Fort Worth is $11,934 and median net price is $24,181. For Texas overall, medians are $3,555 and $8,031; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Fort Worth?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Fort Worth is $61,238 vs $54,274 for Texas and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Fort Worth colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Fort Worth is $15,500 vs $10,667 for Texas and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Fort Worth?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include Texas Christian University (graduation) and Texas Christian University (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Fort Worth?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 10 campuses in Fort Worth, Texas, 5 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Ogle School Hair Skin Nails-Ft Worth, Tarrant County College District, and University of North Texas Health Science Center; 4 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (2), United Methodist (1), Southern Baptist (1).
Sources & related
- Texas college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON