HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Texas Tech University vs University of Houston

Texas Tech University clears +$2.24M in 30-year net value, University of Houston +$2.14M — both pay off, Texas Tech University by +$107K.

Two Texas public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.24M
Total cost of attendance
$89,248
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$64,810
Breaks even by age
34

University of Houston · Houston, TX

30-year net value
+$2.14M
Total cost of attendance
$82,164
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$63,040
Breaks even by age
35
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Texas Tech University vs University of Houston: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/texas-tech-vs-houston

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Questions

Is Texas Tech University or University of Houston a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, Texas Tech University clears +$2.24M and University of Houston +$2.14M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Texas Tech University comes out ahead by +$107K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Texas Tech University pay off than University of Houston?
About +$107K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.24M vs +$2.14M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Texas Tech University?
+$2.24M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $89,248, median earnings ten years out $64,810, breaking even around age 34. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.