Statistics at University of Houston-Downtown

A $20,150 debt load for a statistics degree sounds reasonable at first glance, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34 that falls well below concerning thresholds. But here's what matters for Houston-area families: peer programs in Texas typically produce first-year earnings around $76,759—roughly $17,000 more than the national benchmark this estimate draws from. That gap is significant when you're evaluating whether UH-Downtown's program can compete with alternatives like Southern Methodist or other Texas institutions where graduates command notably higher starting salaries.

The challenge with estimated figures is they tell us what's typical for statistics programs nationally, not what this specific program delivers. Statistics degrees generally lead to solid employment prospects, but local market conditions matter enormously. Houston has a robust analytics sector spanning energy, healthcare, and business services. Whether UH-Downtown's program—which serves a predominantly working-class student body (52% Pell recipients)—connects graduates to those opportunities as effectively as the state's stronger programs remains an open question.

Given the $17,000 earnings gap between Texas programs and the national baseline used here, ask the department directly about recent graduate outcomes: where do their students work, what do they earn, and how many land analyst positions versus less specialized roles? That information will determine whether this accessible program delivers Texas-level results or simply meets a more modest national average.