Cost of Attending College in Texas: Tuition and Living Costs

Tuition and fees at Texas flagships

Published tuition and mandatory fees vary by college and major even within the same university, which is why Texas schools quote a range rather than one flat number. At UT Austin, resident undergraduates pay roughly $10,858 to $13,576 a year in tuition and fees for 2025-26, while non-residents pay roughly $38,650 to $46,498, according to the university's tuition rate tables . UT Austin has frozen resident undergraduate tuition and mandatory academic fees for both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years.

Texas A&M charges resident undergraduates about $12,928 a year in tuition and fees and non-residents about $40,157, based on the university's published tuition tables. The Texas A&M University System announced that tuition and all academic fees will stay at current levels for 2025-26 and 2026-27 across every university in the system, not just the flagship.

Total cost of attendance beyond tuition

Tuition is only part of the bill. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, supplies and personal expenses, and it runs far higher than tuition alone for students living on campus. At UT Austin, published total cost of attendance for an in-state student living on campus runs roughly $32,344 to $35,152 a year, while a non-resident student living on campus faces roughly $64,040 to $72,682, per the school's cost of attendance page . At Texas A&M, total cost of attendance for a Texas resident runs around $33,180 a year, versus roughly $62,272 for a non-resident or international student.

These totals assume on-campus housing and a standard meal plan. Living off campus can cost less or more depending on the city and how many roommates you split rent with, so treat the published figure as a planning baseline rather than a guarantee.

Regional public universities cost less

Regional campuses inside the same systems as UT Austin and Texas A&M generally charge lower total tuition and fees than the flagships, and many also sit in cities with a lower cost of living. If your goal is a public university degree at the lowest total cost, a regional campus such as one in the UT System, Texas A&M System, Texas State System or Texas Tech System is worth comparing directly against the flagship, since the diploma comes from the same accredited public university structure either way.

Community colleges cost a fraction of university tuition

Texas community colleges charge tuition per credit hour that runs well below university rates, particularly for students who qualify for the in-district rate in their home county. Completing two years of core coursework at a community college before transferring, using the state's common course numbering system to carry credit forward, lowers the total price of a four-year degree without changing the university that eventually grants it.

City-to-city cost differences

Where you study inside Texas changes your living budget more than most students expect. Austin's off-campus rental market runs among the most expensive in the state, driven by the same tech-sector growth that fuels the city's economy generally. Cities built around regional or system campuses, such as Lubbock, Commerce, San Marcos and Kingsville, typically offer meaningfully lower rent and overall living costs than Austin, Dallas or Houston, even when the university itself is part of the same public system.

Sticker price versus what you actually pay

The figures above are published sticker prices before financial aid, not what every student pays out of pocket. A student who qualifies for the TEXAS Grant, a Pell Grant and a campus scholarship can pay far less than the published cost of attendance, while a student with no financial need pays close to the full amount. Every Texas public university posts a net price calculator on its financial aid site that estimates your actual cost based on household income and family size, and running that calculator for two or three schools before you commit gives a far more accurate comparison than sticker price alone.

Private universities set their own rates

Private Texas universities such as Rice, Southern Methodist University, Baylor and Texas Christian University set tuition independently of the public system and typically publish a single sticker price with no in-state or out-of-state distinction. Sticker price at these schools generally runs higher than public out-of-state tuition, but many private universities also commit larger per-student aid budgets, so a private sticker price is not a reliable stand-in for what a specific admitted student would actually pay. Request each private school's own cost estimate rather than assuming the public numbers above translate directly.

Ways to lower your total cost

Establishing Texas residency before you enroll cuts the tuition bill by tens of thousands of dollars a year compared with non-resident rates. Filing the FAFSA or TASFA early and applying for the TEXAS Grant, the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant or a campus merit scholarship reduces the net price further for students with financial need. Starting at a community college, living off campus with roommates, and choosing a regional campus over a flagship are the three biggest levers most students control directly.