Quad

Head-to-head

Portland State
Sam Houston State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Sam Houston State graduates 5 pts more of its students than Portland State (62% vs. 58%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    Sam Houston State is a bit larger (17,743 vs. 13,182)

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    Sam Houston State costs about $2.9K less per year on average than Portland State ($19,290 vs. $22,192, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    Portland State grads earn $3.7K more ten years out than Sam Houston State's ($57,906 vs. $54,211)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    Portland State's grants cover 30% of its full price on average, vs. 27% at Sam Houston State

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    Sam Houston State's yield is 3 pts higher than Portland State's

    Yield rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Sam Houston State admits 90%, Portland State 91%; Sam Houston State's yield is higher, at 21%.

Acceptance rate
Portland State91%
Sam Houston State90%
Quad's selectivity
  • Portland StateOpen
  • Sam Houston StateOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Portland StateNot reported
Sam Houston State
930–1120
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Portland StateGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • Sam Houston StateGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Sam Houston State is a bit larger than Portland State (17,743 vs. 13,182 undergrads); Portland State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Portland State13.2K
Sam Houston State17.7K
Pell Grant share
Portland State42%
Sam Houston State41%

Majors and faculty

Psychology leads at Portland State, and Criminal Justice/Safety Studies at Sam Houston State; Portland State has 17 students per faculty member to Sam Houston State's 19.

Students per faculty member
Portland State17 to 1
Sam Houston State19 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Portland StatePsychology, General10%
  • Sam Houston StateCriminal Justice/Safety Studies18%

What each costs

Sam Houston State costs about $2.9K less a year than Portland State on average; Portland State's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Portland State$22.2K
Sam Houston State$19.3K
Aid generosity
Portland State30%
Sam Houston State27%

What each pays off

Portland State's former students earn more, a median $57.9K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Portland State$57.9K
Sam Houston State$54.2K
Graduation rate
Portland State58%
Sam Houston State62%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Portland StateGrowing+53%
  • Sam Houston StateGrowing+87%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why