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First National Bank BuildingFirst National Bank Building · Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Stephenville

Stephenville is a college town: 28 of every 100 residents are students

Tarleton State University (11,922 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Texas, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town28% of residents are studentsTarleton State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Stephenville. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
11,922 students on campus
Nearest college
0.2 mi
Tarleton State
Residents in college
28%
Above TX (6%)
Nearest community college
31.9 mi
Ranger College · $2,766 tuition
Nearest public university
0.2 mi
Tarleton State · $8,302 in-state
Students on campus in Stephenville
11,922
next to 21,793 residents

What stands out about college in Stephenville

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town28 of every 100 Stephenville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.A university in StephenvilleTarleton State University has 11,922 students on campus in Stephenville, 48% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Tarleton StateLiving in Texas, Tarleton State University charges $8,302 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,142. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 31.9 miles awayRanger College in Ranger: tuition and fees $2,766 a year for Texas residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Stephenville

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

28 of every 100 Stephenville residents are in college (TX: 6).

11,922students on campus at Tarleton State University, next to 21,793 residents (dorm students count as residents)
3,112college students live in Stephenville households rather than dorms
25.1median age · TX 35.6
53%of residents are women · TX 50% (±1.4 points)
56%of homes rented · TX 37%
$1,134median rent · 19% below the state
Cost of living$1,134/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesBJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Stephenville’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 20.4% of Stephenville residents are below the poverty line, 12.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 5 points either way). 59% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (28% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Stephenville’s median age is 25.1 (Texas 35.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Stephenville

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Stephenville.

5 mi10 mi15 miTarleton StateStephenville
University or collegeCommunity college
Tarleton State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 11,922 on campus · In Stephenville90%admitted$21knet price48%graduate$53kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Stephenville’s median household income ($53,015) falls.

Tarleton State UniversityIn Stephenville · sticker $24,100$20,396a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Stephenville: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Tarleton State
Tarleton State University48% graduate$53k earnings$20k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Stephenville

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Tarleton State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 20%Agriculture 14%Parks & recreation 11%Health professions 9%Psychology 8%Public safety 5%Everything else 34%

Biggest programs

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness240 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, General229 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing210 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
Psychology, General204 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections184 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other170 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Animal Sciences142 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities96 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Stephenville

Is Stephenville a college town?

Yes. 28 of every 100 Stephenville residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Texas. Tarleton State University has 11,922 students on campus, next to 21,793 residents.

What colleges are in Stephenville?

Tarleton State University is inside the city. Ranger College is 31.9 miles away in Ranger.

Why is Stephenville’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 20.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.2% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 5 points).

What is the closest community college to Stephenville, and what does it cost?

Ranger College in Ranger, 31.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,766 a year for Texas residents; the federal net price, $6,182, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Tarleton State University?

Tarleton State University admitted 90% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 980–1,160 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Stephenville. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →