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Real costs by region · Southwest · families earning $75,000–$110,000

25 Southwest colleges under $16,000 a year — if you earn $75,000–$110,000.

Across 116 Southwest colleges, families earning $75,000–$110,000 paid between $4,982 and $38,852 a year. The 25 cheapest are all under $16,000 — and every one of them is public.

SchoolTypeAdmitSticker / yrThis band paidPaid
Texas A & M International UniversityPublic44%$15,558$4,982
The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyPublic94%$16,830$7,972
Eastern New Mexico University-Main CampusPublic92%$18,940$8,388
Louisiana State University-ShreveportPublic51%$19,461$10,359
Louisiana State University at AlexandriaPublic92%$15,550$10,794
University of Arkansas Community College-MorriltonPublic100%$15,362$11,989
East Central UniversityPublic58%$18,459$12,154
Northwestern Oklahoma State UniversityPublic65%$18,672$12,638
New Mexico State University-Main CampusPublic89%$23,274$13,146
Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityPublic76%$18,594$13,275
The University of Texas Permian BasinPublic95%$23,886$13,294
Lamar UniversityPublic86%$22,254$13,689
University of Arkansas-Fort SmithPublic80%$19,048$13,804
University of Arkansas at Pine BluffPublic41%$21,129$13,975
The University of Texas at El PasoPublic100%$19,836$14,093
Texas Woman's UniversityPublic96%$22,234$14,094
University of North Texas at DallasPublic84%$20,064$14,171
Arkansas Tech UniversityPublic96%$22,808$14,675
Texas A&M University-KingsvillePublic91%$24,060$15,325
Midwestern State UniversityPublic94%$22,652$15,365
The University of Texas at San AntonioPublic87%$22,352$15,446
University of Houston-DowntownPublic90%$20,749$15,488
Southern Arkansas University Main CampusPublic75%$24,951$15,654
Louisiana Tech UniversityPublic86%$24,280$15,674
Arkansas State UniversityPublic82%$25,082$15,839

"Paid" is the average net price reported to the U.S. Department of Education for aided families at $75,000–$110,000 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 · $30,000–$48,000 · $48,000–$75,000 · 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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