University of Houston Admission
University of Houston Undergraduate Program
University of Houston Application

The Facts

The University of Houston located in the large city of Houston, Texas comprised of 13 schools and colleges which include architecture, business, education, engineering, honors, hotel and restaurant management, liberal arts and social sciences, law, natural sciences, law, natural sciences and mathematics, optometry, pharmacy, social work, and technology. The university offers a myriad of academic options at a relatively low cost of only $3,258 for in-state students and an out-of-state tuition of only $8,922.

The school is quite large, housing approximately 24,000 undergraduate students, and as a result, the student to faculty ratio is a rather lousy 21:1. However, students say that despite the enormous class sizes, professors are remarkably accessible, and once students get beyond their initial feeling of anonymity, the large classes can become quite comfortable. The school’s core curriculum was recently upgraded in 1999 and now includes requirement in the following areas: communications, math and reasoning, humanities, visual and performing arts, natural sciences, social sciences, history, and government. Some of the most popular majors at the university include business, social sciences, engineering and related tech, sciences (biological and physical), and the visual and performing arts.

Admission to the university is not terribly competitive, because of its sheer size and low price tag; last year, around 8,175 students applied and 6,380 students were admitted and 3,457 students actually enrolled. The Class of 2004 had an average combined SAT score ranging from 920 to 1150 and an average cumulative ACT score ranging from 18 to 23. Over 46% of admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average GPA of about 3.1.

The Social Scene

Many students at the university remark at the schools remarkable diversity, not only in race and gender but also in age. There is a large commuter population, which can dull the on-campus social scence somewhat, however, the city of Houston is an exciting dynamic city with great nightlife and cultural activities. There are over 26 intercollegiate fraternities and sororities at the university that dominate the social scene and throw many parties and fundraising events popular with the majority of students. In fact, over 6% of students belong to a fraternity or a sorority. Many students also choose to donate their time back to the community in various ways, from tutoring kids to visiting the elderly to feeding the homeless. There are many varsity and intramural teams with which students get involved. There are many games and events throughout the year that many students attend. Students say that school spirit is strong, and there is great pride for the city of Houston as well.

As far as the dating scene goes, don’t expect to find yourself a soulful emo boy or a hipster gal; maybe adjust to the idea of ten-gallon hats and cowboy boots.

What's Good

“The community here is extremely diverse and no one should ever find themselves feeling like an outsider at any point.”

“The city of Houston should insure that you are never at a loss of activities.”

“Even though the classes are large, you actually don’t end up feeling anonymous.”

What's Bad

“The school is enormous and people here aren’t really the most motivated individuals.”

“The required classes are extremely boring and don’t really have anything informative to offer.”

“Texas is pretty conservative. If you are a liberal, you're going to feel like an alien.”

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