Stephenville, TX · Public · Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.
How to pay for Tarleton State University
What a year costs here, what brings it down, and what a SmartTuition plan could save a family like yours.
Paying for four years here
Four years here, after grants
$93,855
A SmartTuition plan could save a family like this about $4,200.
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester, using your own numbers.
Build your SmartTuition plan for Tarleton State University, $99 →Best once your award letter arrives. No letter yet? Get the monthly email.
A family of four with good credit and $500 a month for college. How we worked these out ↓
A year at Tarleton State University
| Full price, in state | $24,756 |
| Full price, out of state | $37,982 |
| After grants, at your income | $22,327 |
At this income, 33 of Texas's other 58 colleges cost less after grants, and 25 cost more. See them all →
What can bring it down
Merit scholarships. The President's Guaranteed Scholarship Program guarantees $500 to $4,000 a year to freshmen in the top half of their class, by class rank and test score. A student completes the General Scholarships Application, and it renews for up to four years.
Tarleton State University's promise. Tarleton State Promise: tuition, fees, meal plan and a book allowance for Texas freshmen with family income of $85,000 or less. The conditions ↓
Pay less for college
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester.
At Tarleton State University, our scenarios for Texas households with good parent credit show a SmartTuition plan saving a median of about $5,500 over four years. How we worked this out ↓
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Put your schools side by side →Merit scholarships
What Tarleton State University says it awards for grades and test scores.
The President's Guaranteed Scholarship Program guarantees $500 to $4,000 a year to freshmen in the top half of their class, by class rank and test score. A student completes the General Scholarships Application, and it renews for up to four years.
Published guarantees you may qualify for
We do not assume you qualify for any of these, and our plans never bank on them. Check each against your own situation with the aid office.
Tarleton State Promise: tuition, fees, meal plan and a book allowance for Texas freshmen with family income of $85,000 or less
Household income up to $85,000. Covers tuition, fees, food, books.
- For first-time freshmen who are Texas Grant recipients and Pell-eligible, graduated in the top 50% of their high school class, and enroll full time. Housing is not covered.
- It lasts up to four years. Renewal needs satisfactory academic progress, generally a 2.75 GPA and 12 hours a semester.
“Tarleton State will cover tuition, fees, meal plan, and a book allowance after the student’s scholarships, grants, and exemptions are applied. I’m Interested Tarleton State Promise Requirements To be considered for the Tarleton State Promise program the student must complete Tarleton State’s General Scholarships Application and FAFSA application. The award is renewable for up to four years as long as the following eligibility requirements are met each year the student attends Tarleton State. Eligible students meet all the following criteria: Expanded for 2026/2027 and beyond to assist more students Texas Grant Recipient PELL-Eligible Family AGI (adjusted gross income): $85,000 or less Having graduated in the top 50% of their high school graduating class Enrolled full-time (12 credits) Meet satisfactory academic progress requirements for the grant support to continue from one academic year to the next What the Promise Program Covers Tuition and required fees Meal plan (no housing) Book allowance Steps to Confirm Your Eligibility”
How we worked these out
The family
A family of four with good parent credit and $500 a month to put toward college, and the savings you pick. In state, the grants are what Tarleton State University reports families at that income got, on average. Your own will differ, and a family with no aid pays close to the full price. Out of state, there are no grants: the price is before any scholarship from the college.
What a SmartTuition plan saves
The difference, over four years, between a SmartTuition plan and the standard approach: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest and the federal tax credit.
The $5,500 in the “Pay less for college” box near the top of this page is the median saving in Tarleton State University's own scenarios. Each scenario is a household that lives in Texas, with an income from $45,000 to $200,000 and savings of none, $40,000 or $100,000 in a 529. We price Tarleton State University at the aid it reports for that income.
Every scenario has parents with good credit and $500 a month toward college. The card above uses the same two. A scenario where the parents would borrow more than $65,000 is left out.
The prices by income
- They describe students who got aid.
- “Over $110,000” has no upper limit, so it averages families just over $110,000 with far wealthier ones. A family at $115,000 should expect to pay less than it shows.
- Each range is reported on its own, so the prices do not always rise with income.
Where the prices come from
Where the prices come from: Tarleton State University's own 2026-27 tuition, fees, housing, food and books, from its website, carried forward to 2027 at 3.0% a year. The grants are the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2025-26 figures), carried forward the same way. Each price after grants is the cost less those grants. The out-of-state figure uses the published out-of-state tuition instead. The average price after grants counts the students who get federal aid. Your own figure will be different.
Tarleton State University's own budget for 2026-27 is $28,116 in state and $40,956 out of state. It also counts costs the university doesn't bill for, such as travel and personal spending. We leave those out.
SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tarleton State University. Aid policies change; check current terms with the college's aid office.
Nearby at your income
- Austin College$21,655 a year
- McMurry University$22,321 a year
- Tarleton State University$22,327 a year
- Texas A&M Victoria$22,370 a year
- Texas Wesleyan University$22,770 a year
What each college charges, less the average grant for your income. Every Texas college →