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Real costs by region · Southwest · families earning $30,000–$48,000

25 Southwest colleges under $11,000 a year — if you earn $30,000–$48,000.

Across 116 Southwest colleges, families earning $30,000–$48,000 paid between $563 and $37,924 a year. The 25 cheapest are all under $11,000 — and 2 of them are private.

SchoolTypeAdmitSticker / yrThis band paidPaid
Rice UniversityPrivate8%$79,788$563
Texas A&M University-Central TexasPublic100%$14,187$750
Texas A & M International UniversityPublic44%$15,558$2,745
Eastern New Mexico University-Main CampusPublic92%$18,940$3,080
The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyPublic94%$16,830$3,877
Louisiana State University-ShreveportPublic51%$19,461$4,836
Louisiana State University at AlexandriaPublic92%$15,550$5,075
Texas A&M University-VictoriaPublic96%$21,401$5,579
University of North Texas at DallasPublic84%$20,064$5,743
Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityPublic76%$18,594$6,333
East Central UniversityPublic58%$18,459$6,402
New Mexico State University-Main CampusPublic89%$23,274$7,424
Northwestern Oklahoma State UniversityPublic65%$18,672$7,828
The University of Texas at San AntonioPublic87%$22,352$7,847
University of Arkansas Community College-MorriltonPublic100%$15,362$8,051
The University of Texas at El PasoPublic100%$19,836$8,136
Lamar UniversityPublic86%$22,254$8,261
University of TulsaPrivate62%$64,459$8,616
Louisiana Tech UniversityPublic86%$24,280$8,619
Arkansas State UniversityPublic82%$25,082$9,255
University of Arkansas-Fort SmithPublic80%$19,048$9,391
Northeastern State UniversityPublic100%$21,551$9,827
Midwestern State UniversityPublic94%$22,652$9,886
Texas Woman's UniversityPublic96%$22,234$9,894
University of Houston-DowntownPublic90%$20,749$10,048

"Paid" is the average net price reported to the U.S. Department of Education for aided families at $30,000–$48,000 household income — planning data, not an offer. Public colleges show in-state prices; out-of-state families typically pay more. Colleges enrolling fewer than 1,000 students are excluded, because federal price cells at very small schools are volatile enough to manufacture patterns that disappear at scale. A low price and a low admit rate are different things — the admit column is there so the two are never confused.

Same region, different income

under $30,000 · $48,000–$75,000 · $75,000–$110,000 · over $110,000

Same income, different region

Northeast · Mid-Atlantic · Southeast · Midwest · West

State by state

Arizona · Arkansas · Louisiana · New Mexico · Oklahoma · Texas

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These are averages. Your family isn't average.
Run any of these schools against your student's real GPA, your income band, and your actual high school — odds with the math shown, the paperwork each requires, and the season's deadlines. First three schools free.

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