


Texas Southern University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees. Institutional accreditation applies to the university as a whole; accreditation or approval of a particular professional program is a separate question.
For students, institutional accreditation is relevant to eligibility for federal student aid and can matter when seeking transfer credit or admission to further study. It does not require another college to accept every course. Fields leading to licensure may also have program-specific accreditation, examination, and state-board requirements. Applicants considering law, pharmacy, education, or another licensed profession should check the current status and requirements for the exact program and state where they intend to practice.
First-year applicants to Texas Southern University generally apply with evidence of high school graduation or an accepted equivalent and an academic record. Admission is not open admission: the university reviews applicants rather than enrolling everyone who applies.
Reported admissions information identifies secondary-school GPA and class rank as application considerations, while SAT and ACT scores are considered but not universally required. Applicants should follow the instructions for their entry term to determine whether a transcript must show class rank or whether their school may report that it does not rank students. Recommendations and college-preparatory coursework may inform review without being universal requirements. International applicants may need to document English proficiency; applicants to selective or professional programs may face additional rules.
For perspective, the reported first-year admissions cycle included 9,391 applicants and 9,101 admissions, an acceptance rate of about 97%. That figure describes one past applicant pool, not an individual applicant's chances or eligibility for a particular major. Applicants should confirm the deadline and document checklist for their intended term before submitting.
The reported Texas Southern University undergraduate application fee is $42. This is an application charge, not a tuition payment or a deposit securing a place in a class.
Fees can differ by application route or applicant category and can change between cycles. Applicants seeking a waiver should check the current application instructions for eligibility and required documentation before paying or submitting: a waiver is not necessarily available as a refund afterward. Graduate and professional applicants should use their program's fee schedule rather than assume the undergraduate charge applies.
Army ROTC is available on Texas Southern University's campus. Reported ROTC arrangements also indicate access to Air Force and Navy ROTC through cooperating host institutions, rather than separate TSU-operated units for those branches.
Students considering an off-campus unit should confirm its current cross-enrollment agreement, travel and scheduling requirements, and how its courses fit their degree plan. ROTC participation and ROTC scholarship selection are distinct processes. Eligibility, medical and fitness standards, scholarship terms, and any military service obligation depend on the branch and the student's contract; joining an introductory course does not necessarily mean accepting a commission or a scholarship.
Texas Southern University accepts transfer applications and generally considers credits from other accredited institutions. Transfer admission and the application of individual courses toward a TSU degree are separate decisions.
Reported entry options include fall, spring, and summer. Transfer applicants should expect to provide official transcripts from each college attended; the applicable GPA standard and any high-school-record requirement depend on the current admissions policy and their prior coursework. A department may impose further prerequisites, particularly for a sequenced major or professional program.
Before enrolling, applicants can request an official credit evaluation and compare the results with their intended degree plan. The important questions are not just how many credits transfer, but whether they satisfy general education, major, prerequisite, and minimum TSU-credit requirements. Students transferring from a Texas community college should also ask an adviser how the Texas core curriculum applies to their record.
Students interested in studying abroad should investigate Texas Southern University's current international education offerings and the approval process for their specific major. Availability, destinations, and program formats can vary by term.
Before committing to a university-arranged, faculty-led, partner, or third-party program, a student needs written confirmation of how its courses will count toward a TSU degree. They should also establish the full program cost, passport and visa requirements, insurance arrangements, and whether their particular grants, loans, or scholarships can be used. Professional-program students may have tighter sequencing or placement rules than other undergraduates.
18% of admitted students enrolled (1,628 of 9,101)
Regular application deadline
May 31Application fee
$42Early Decision
NoEarly Action
NoMedian composite SAT score
910Median composite ACT score
17Percent of students submitting ACT scores
14%Percent of students submitting SAT scores
37%High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredComputer required
NoComputer purchase/lease plan is available in the institution
NoSecondary school GPA
RequiredSecondary school rank
RequiredSecondary school record
Considered but not requiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Considered but not requiredRecommendations
Considered but not requiredFormal demonstration of competencies
Considered but not requiredAdmission test scores
Considered but not requiredTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
RequiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
YesAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesOrientation program
YesDisabilities services
YesOff-campus study
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit on campusROTC-Navy
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionROTC-Air Force
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionStudy abroad
YesWeekend/evening college
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
YesPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
YesAccept ACE recommendation for credit
YesPossible transfer
Fall, Spring, SummerData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.