Sam Houston State University (SHSU) vs University of Central Oklahoma (UCO)

Sam Houston State University and University of Central Oklahoma, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Sam Houston State, nestled in Huntsville, Texas, boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process. Its student body is predominantly composed of Texas residents, reflecting its strong local ties. In contrast, University of Central Oklahoma, located in Edmond, Oklahoma, welcomes a more diverse student population, with a higher acceptance rate and a significant proportion of out-of-state students. While both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, Sam Houston State excels in fields like criminal justice and nursing, while University of Central Oklahoma shines in areas such as business and education. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further distinctions between these two exceptional universities and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Sam Houston State University	University of Central Oklahoma
Overview
Location	Huntsville, Texas	Edmond, Oklahoma
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	67.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.6%	81.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60
SAT range	950 - 1120	N/A
ACT range	18 - 23	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	83.0%
Total number of applicants	11,556	8,708
Total number of admissions given out	11,161	7,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,908	1,662
Yield rate	26.1%	23.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,612 Out of state: $34,404	In state: $30,788 Out of state: $41,675
Average net price	$14,287	$17,477
Tuition	In state: $5,856 Out of state: $15,648	In state: $6,822 Out of state: $17,709
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,918 Meal plan: $4,650	Room/dormitory: $3,990 Meal plan: $4,550
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	70.0% Average amount $9,492	76.0% Average amount $6,531
Students receiving federal student loan	52.0% Average amount $5,618	34.0% Average amount $6,109
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $14,496	5.0% Average amount $11,559

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,288 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%	11,771 Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students	3,324 Men 31.7% Women 68.3%	1,479 Men 31.1% Women 68.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.4%	5.1%
International students	1.3%	3.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	3,398	1,860
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Texas Florida California Arkansas Illinois	Oklahoma Texas Kansas California Missouri

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Health Professions Agriculture Communication and Journalism	Business Education Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.3%	37.0%
Dropout rate	16.2%	19.0%
Transferred out	23.6%	37.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,554 Year 2: $68,858 Year 3: $76,776 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,691 Year 2: $74,953 Year 3: $76,058 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,097 Year 2: $69,740 Year 3: $73,214 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,694 Year 2: $66,049 Year 3: $72,403 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,377 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $67,947 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,438 Year 2: $60,128 Year 3: $67,313 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,381 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $65,080 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,710 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $62,801 Agricultural Mechanization (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,352 Year 2: $49,436 Year 3: $59,631 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,213 Year 2: $56,579 Year 3: $57,976	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,801 Year 2: $54,661 Year 3: $72,607 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,936 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $69,619 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,320 Year 2: $61,192 Year 3: $63,948 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,536 Year 2: $55,625 Year 3: $58,073 Public Health (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,015 Year 2: $44,216 Year 3: $55,170 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,206 Year 2: $49,729 Year 3: $54,652 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,587 Year 2: $48,265 Year 3: $54,308 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,115 Year 2: $51,607 Year 3: $53,363 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,019 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $49,609 Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,625 Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $48,898

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