What college costs in Texas: tuition, rent and getting around in 2026-27.

Tuition and cost of attendance, 2026-27

Cost of attendance (COA) is each school’s official estimate of a full year for a full-time undergraduate: tuition and fees plus housing, food, books, transportation and personal costs. It is the number financial aid is built on. Figures are for fall plus spring. Tuition varies by major, so some schools give a range.

*UTSA lists non-resident tuition and fees and says all other costs are the same as for residents; the $48,682 total is our sum. Texas A&M, UH and UNT publish their full cost of attendance only through calculators that depend on major, housing and residency, and we could not read a single official figure from them. UT Austin labels its line simply as tuition, at 12 hours a term, and does not list fees separately. UTSA notes that its figures could change if the UT Board of Regents raises tuition.

Where the rest of the money goes

Tuition is often less than half the bill. UT Austin budgets $15,420–$15,580 a year for housing and food, $1,840 for transportation and $3,666 for personal costs. Texas Tech budgets $7,500 for housing and $4,500 for food. UTSA’s on-campus estimate is $10,484 for housing and $5,878 for meals, and living at home cuts its total by almost $9,000. At UTEP, living with parents instead of renting off campus saves about $10,000 a year in the school’s own estimate.

Free-tuition and “promise” programs

These programs cover tuition (and often mandatory fees) for Texas residents below an income limit, usually after other grants. None covers housing or food. Each requires the FAFSA (or TASFA) by a deadline, so check the program page early.

UH’s Cougar Promise for fall 2027 entrants requires admission documents and the FAFSA or TASFA by Jan 15, 2027. UNT’s deadline for fall 2026 was Feb 15, 2026; check its page for the 2027 date. We did not find a comparable income-based tuition guarantee for Baylor in the sources we checked.

In-state tuition: the residency rules

Under the Texas Education Code, a student is a Texas resident for tuition if they set up a domicile in Texas at least one year before the census date of the term they enroll in, and kept it for that whole year. The census date is an official day early in each semester, so in practice the clock needs to start a little more than 12 months before the first day of class. A dependent student’s residency follows the parent’s: if you move to Texas, your child generally qualifies once you have been domiciled here for that year.

There is a second route for students who finish high school in Texas: graduating from a Texas high school (or getting the equivalent) after living in Texas for the three years before graduation, and for the year before the census date. Students without legal immigration status can no longer use this route. A federal judge struck down the Texas Dream Act in June 2025, and in July 2026 the 5th Circuit rejected an appeal, so those students now pay out-of-state rates.

What the timing is worth

At UT Austin the lowest non-resident tuition, $42,554, is $31,696 a year more than the lowest resident rate. At Texas Tech the gap is $12,599, at UTSA $16,842, at UH $15,888 and at UTEP $13,200. If you are moving with a high school junior or senior, arriving a year before enrollment can save a family tens of thousands of dollars over four years. Ask the admissions office early which documents it accepts as proof of domicile. More on settling in is on our moving checklist.

Student rent near campus

Apartment List figures are medians on new leases (Nov 2026 report, October data). RentCafe figures are averages in large managed buildings. Apartments.com is a listing marketplace. They measure different things, so compare within a column.

RentCafe’s College Station average across all units is $1,767, well above its 1-bedroom figure, because big student complexes rent 3- and 4-bedroom units (its 3-bedroom average is $2,114). Many of these leases are by the bed, so split the unit price by roommates before comparing. Supply is the story in each town. College Station rents are falling as new student towers open; see College Station. Texas Tech enrolled a record 45,812 students this fall and Lubbock rents are rising; see Lubbock. Waco rents are up as Baylor grows; see Waco. Most student leases start in August, so the best choice is in spring.

Getting around: student transit passes

Baylor’s student senate passed a bill in April 2025 to seek free Waco Transit access for students, pending approval from the university and the city. We could not confirm whether that deal took effect, so check with Baylor before buying a pass. For everyone else in Austin, CapMetro fares rise on Jan 10, 2027: from $1.25 to $1.50 a ride and from $41.25 to $49.50 for the monthly cap. CapMetro says its agreements with UT and ACC stay in place. More on fares across the state is on Texas transit and tolls.

Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online

Dates that will change these numbers

• Jan 10, 2027: CapMetro fares rise for riders who are not covered by the UT agreement.
• Jan 15, 2027: UH Cougar Promise deadline for fall 2027 freshmen.
• 2027 legislative session: lawmakers decide whether the tuition freeze continues after 2026-27.
• Spring 2027: schools post 2027-28 cost of attendance; we will update this page then.

How we check

Tuition and cost of attendance come from each university’s own financial aid, admissions or bursar pages, except where noted (UNT’s per-semester estimate and Baylor’s annual total come from news reports of official figures). Rent comes from Apartment List, RentCafe and Apartments.com, which we label as marketplaces. Every figure links to its source and shows the date it applies to. Read the full methodology. Comparing cities for a family move? See the Texas city comparison and child care costs.