Public
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Houston, Texas
93.4% Acceptance Rate
Texas Southern University — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
93.4%Acceptance Rate
3Avg GPA
913Avg SAT
17Avg ACT
$24,899Annual Cost
$38,924Grad Salary
71.3%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
93.4%
Avg GPA
3
Avg SAT
913
Avg ACT
17
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
800–1000
ACT Middle 50%
15–19
Avg Net Price
$19,734
Need-Based Aid
71.3% receive Pell
Texas Southern University is a prominent public, historically Black university (HBCU) in Houston, dedicated to academic excellence, professional training, and the advancement of diverse communities. Admissions prioritize academic performance, evaluating students on their high school record and their readiness to thrive in a large, dynamic university environment. The university seeks students who are motivated by a sense of purpose and who are eager to participate in its rich tradition of leadership, research, and community advocacy.
When applying, prospective students should highlight their consistency in academic work and their involvement in school or community organizations that require collaboration and leadership. Demonstrating a clear interest in the university's specific professional programs?such as pharmacy, law, or public administration?can help an applicant stand out, as the university favors students who have a focused vision for their future. A strong application shows that the student is proactive, focused, and ready to take full advantage of the resources and research opportunities available at an urban, research-focused institution.
Texas Southern University Acceptance Rate
Admission at Texas Southern University is inclusive by design. 93.4% of applicants who meet basic eligibility are accepted.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 93.4% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.00 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
2.80 – 2.99
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.55
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Texas Southern University Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Texas Southern University follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of March 1 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 201 days left — Priority
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
TSU reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Priority
March 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (March 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
TSU GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at TSU is 3. That makes admissions here moderately selective. Most admitted students carry a blend of A's, B's, and the occasional C.
A stronger SAT or ACT score can comfortably offset a GPA on the lower end of this range.
Note the scale: this figure reflects an unweighted 4.0 GPA. Add AP or IB coursework and the equivalent weighted GPA usually lands around 3.20–3.40.TSU GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Admission here leans heavily on holistic review.
Recommended Strategy: Leans on context, such as leadership, personal circumstances, or a standout talent.
This range is a rough map. Where you land determines what else needs to carry weight in your application.:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.00 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
2.80 – 2.99
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.60 – 2.79
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.59
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Automatic admission requires top 25% class rank AND a GPA above 2.5; Holistic/Individual Review is available for others but capped at 30% of total admits
- Summer of Success (SOS) is a 5-week residential conditional-admission bridge; participants must earn a 2.0 GPA in 6 summer college credits to convert to full admission
- Associate degree completers with a 2.0 cumulative GPA receive automatic admission - a lower bar than the freshman pathway
- TSU houses the ABA-accredited Thurgood Marshall School of Law (~180 JD students/year, founded 1947), which explicitly weighs overcoming disadvantage alongside LSAT/GPA in admissions
- Rigor Over Raw Number: Course rigor is read alongside the number itself. A 3.8 with a demanding schedule can beat a 4.0 without one.
- Trajectory Matters: Grades that climb toward graduation tend to matter more than a flat average. The trajectory tells its own story.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at TSU
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Texas Southern University's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Texas Southern University (TSU) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at TSU. Landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into TSU Without SAT or ACT?
TSU considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Texas Southern University Average SAT Score: 913
Admitted students at Texas Southern University average a 913 SAT (out of 1600).
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 913 — Accessible
A 913 average means even a modest SAT score can strengthen your application.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1000 SAT or 19 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Texas Southern University allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
Scored under 800? A retake is worth it at TSU. Two or three sittings is standard for competitive applicants, and there's no cap on how many times you can test.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 435 | 380 | 490 |
| SAT Reading | 465 | 420 | 510 |
| SAT Composite | 913 | 800 | 1000 |
A score under 800 puts you in the lower quarter of admits; 1000+ puts you ahead of three-quarters of the admitted class. (These percentiles mark where a given share of the admitted class scored at or below.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 900
Can I get into Texas Southern University (TSU) with a 1000 SAT?
At 1000, your SAT is squarely in TSU's favor. That said, admissions staff read the full file. GPA, activities, and essays still carry real weight even with a strong score in hand.
Texas Southern University (TSU) ACT Requirements
TSU's admitted students average an ACT of 17.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 17 — Accessible
An average of 17 means even a modest ACT score can strengthen your application.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 16 | 15 | 17 |
| ACT English | 16 | 13 | 19 |
| ACT Composite | 17 | 15 | 19 |
Can I get into Texas Southern University with a 19 ACT?
At 19, you're in the top quarter of TSU's admitted class by ACT score. That's a real advantage, but admissions still reads GPA, essays, and activities alongside it.
The ACT's four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, are each scored independently on a 1–36 scale, and admissions staff do notice a lopsided breakdown. If one section trails the others significantly, that's worth addressing before you apply, particularly for STEM programs where Science carries extra weight.
Beyond the number itself, TSU weighs your transcript rigor, activities, recommendations, and essays just as heavily. The ACT opens the door, and the rest of your file decides what happens next.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for TSU
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Getting into TSU is the easy part. What matters next is using placement testing, advising, and available resources to set up a strong first year.
Know which of TSU's three admission lanes you're actually in
TSU automatically admits students in the top 25% of their high school class with a GPA above 2.5. Everyone else outside that band goes through Holistic/Individual Review (capped at 30% of admitted students), which can require an essay, personal statement, or interview. If you're not in the automatic band, treat any request for supplemental materials as a real opportunity, not a formality - it's the entire mechanism by which non-automatic applicants get admitted.
If selected for Summer of Success, treat the 2.0 GPA as the actual admission bar
Summer of Success is a conditional-admission bridge: a five-week residential program where you earn six college credits over the summer, and a 2.0 GPA in those credits converts your conditional offer into full admission. The real deadlines that matter are the program interest form, the FAFSA, and the vaccination record - missing any of these removes you from a program designed specifically to get borderline applicants in.
If you're a community college transfer with an associate degree, use the lower automatic-admission bar
Students who've completed an associate degree with a cumulative 2.0 GPA receive automatic admission to TSU - a meaningfully lower bar than the freshman path's 2.5+/top-25% standard. If you're finishing an associate degree elsewhere with TSU as a target, prioritize degree completion over chasing a higher GPA past 2.0, since the automatic-admission threshold doesn't reward going further.
If law school (Thurgood Marshall) is the long-term goal, understand its specific evaluation lens early
TMSL's admissions committee explicitly states that past success in overcoming an economic or educational disadvantage is considered a prime indicator of motivation - not a generic "tell us about yourself" prompt. Undergraduates building toward law school here should document real adversity-and-resilience narratives through their TSU years (leadership roles, community service, work experience) rather than assuming GPA and LSAT alone carry an application.
Expert Insight:
Families often treat the published 2.5 GPA / top-25% admission standard as a hard line, when TSU actually runs three distinct, simultaneous admission pathways - automatic, capped holistic review, and the Summer of Success conditional bridge. An applicant who narrowly misses automatic admission and assumes they've been rejected, rather than engaging with the holistic review request for additional materials, can lose a viable path to enrollment that was never actually closed.
TSU Profile
Full Name
Texas Southern University (TSU)
City
Houston
State
Texas
ZIP Code
77004
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a TSU Degree Worth It?
At $24,899/year against a $38,924 median graduate salary, TSU is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation. The numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $53,800, and graduates see a 5.04% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from TSU Cost?
Listed tuition runs $24,899/year at TSU. Factor in Pell and federal grant aid, and most students land closer to $19,734.
At TSU, 71.3% receive a Pell Grant and 65.3% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming TSU on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a TSU Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, TSU graduates report a median income of $38,924, somewhat below the U.S. median graduate income of $40,595.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Texas Southern University. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Valley State University | Fort Valley, GA | 864 | 18 |
| Bennett College | Greensboro, NC | 890 | NA |
| Chamberlain University-Illinois | Addison, IL | 868 | 16 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Texas Southern University. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | Pine Bluff, AR | 916 | 16 |
| Bethune-Cookman University | Daytona Beach, FL | 913 | 17 |
| Trinity College of Florida | Trinity, FL | 905 | 19 |
| Wesleyan College | Macon, GA | 905 | NA |
| Morningside University | Sioux City, IA | 910 | 17 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Texas Southern University. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A & M University | Normal, AL | 947 | 17 |
| Alabama State University | Montgomery, AL | 977 | 18 |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | 980 | 20 |
| University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, CT | 985 | NA |
| Delaware State University | Dover, DE | 984 | 24 |
Degree Programs at TSU
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About TSU Admissions
Texas Southern University graduates earn a lower median salary of $38,924/year, especially outside technical fields.
Tuition at Texas Southern University is relatively affordable, around $24,899/year.
71.3% of Texas Southern University students receive a Pell Grant, which is need-based aid you don't repay. File your FAFSA early and list Texas Southern University as a choice for the best shot at maximum aid.
Texas Southern University's acceptance rate is 93.4%, comparatively higher than most selective universities. Admission is more attainable here.
The average GPA of admitted Texas Southern University students is 3, reflecting a competitive applicant pool.
There's no strict cutoff, but a GPA at or above 2.7 puts you in the standard applicant pool at Texas Southern University. Below that, your essays and recommendations need to work harder to provide context.
A GPA of 2.6 or below makes admission tougher at Texas Southern University, but strong test scores, activities, and essays, plus AP/IB coursework, can still keep you in contention.
Texas Southern University weighs the SAT heavily. Scoring above 913, and within the 800–1000 range, keeps you competitive.
Texas Southern University's deadline is March 1. Rolling Admissions applies too, so earlier is always better.
Texas Southern University charges an application fee of 42; ask admissions about waiver eligibility if cost is a barrier.
For priority financial aid consideration, get your FAFSA in before March 1, 2026. That's Texas Southern University's scholarship priority date.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out, plus a solid test score where the school considers one.