Admit rate has ranged 49%–68% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Howard Payne University is a small, Baptist-affiliated liberal arts school in rural Texas where nearly every student gets financial aid and the most popular majors tilt toward business and sports. With a 67% acceptance rate and graduation rates hovering around 35%, HPU offers a tight-knit Christian community—half live on campus—but struggles with student retention.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Class rank
Considered (not required)
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
713
In-state tuition
$34,982
Out-of-state tuition
$34,982
Location
Brownwood, TX
Top Majors
Business, Kinesiology, Nursing
Acceptance Rate
67%
6-Year Grad Rate
35%
On-Campus Housing
49%
Religious Affiliation
Baptist
Student-Faculty Ratio
11:1
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$48,376
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.0×
Median debt at graduation
$26,793
Graduation rate
28%
First-year retention
52%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
55%
Pell (lower-income) share
58%
First-generation share
37%
Endowment / student
$128,034
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Business Administration, Management and Operations$37,568
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$33,993
Criminology$32,563
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$31,042
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$23,649
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
1
Per 1,000 students
1.40
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
96
Summer high
96°F
Winter low
39°F
Annual rain
26.7"
Annual snow
1.8"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
18
Scholarly works
127
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
2.1%
Bottom → top quintile
20%
From bottom quintile
10%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Howard Payne University?
Howard Payne University's acceptance rate is approximately 67% (Brownwood, TX), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Howard Payne University?
Admitted students at Howard Payne University typically score 880–1160 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Howard Payne University cost?
At Howard Payne University, the average net price (after aid) is about $23,627 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Howard Payne University?
Howard Payne University enrolls approximately 713 undergraduate students.
Where is Howard Payne University located?
Howard Payne University is located in Brownwood, TX.
Admissions
Howard Payne is moderately selective, admitting about two-thirds of applicants—a rate that's dipped from 53.9% in 2020 to 67.4% in 2024. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 18-25 on the ACT or 990+ on the SAT, with minimum thresholds set at a 2.6 GPA or top half of their high school class. Unlike many Texas schools, HPU still requires test scores (ACT 19+/SAT 990+/CLT 64+) unless students meet GPA/rank benchmarks.
Business administration (30% of degrees) and sports/kinesiology dominate at this teaching-focused university, where undergrads can choose from programs like pre-law jurisprudence or 7-12 grade history education. The social science major offers three tracks—American politics, global studies, or pre-law—while nursing has emerged as a growing program. With just 35 majors total, HPU leans heavily on its Baptist identity across curricula.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Campus culture revolves around Christian fellowship—49% live in university housing, with dorm life structured around spiritual growth. The Office of Student Experience (325-649-8017) coordinates everything from leadership development to "family-like" social events. Brownwood's rural isolation means most socializing happens on the 80-acre campus, described by Niche as "warm and welcoming" but with limited off-campus options.
Graduation rates lag significantly behind national averages—just 21-35% finish within six years, with Pell Grant recipients graduating at half that rate (5.5-22%). Since 2018, only 26% of first-time full-time students complete degrees, though HPU transparently publishes these struggles in its student achievement goals. The university offers limited public data on postgraduate employment.
Listed at $38,238 tuition, HPU discounts heavily—99% of students receive aid, averaging $20,357 annually. After grants, the Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. drops to $25,768. The financial aid office (which has its own net price calculator) emphasizes church matching grants and Baptist scholarships. Notably, 74% of students still take out loans despite the high aid rate.
HPU's distinction lies in its unapologetic Baptist identity—chapel attendance is required, and spiritual development is baked into residence life. For Texas students seeking small classes (11:1 student-faculty ratio) and near-universal financial aid, it's an affordable Christian alternative to larger state schools. But the rural location and low graduation rates make it best suited for those committed to its religious mission.
Howard Payne University logo · sourceHoward Payne University · sourceHPU to improve campus experience with two major facility projects | Howard Payne University · sourceHistory | Howard Payne University · source
