The University of Houston's Katy campus grew 49% for fall 2026, building on a 73% jump in fall 2025.

Inez Hutchinson, senior director of university communications for the Sugar Land and Katy campuses, confirmed the preliminary figure to Community Impact on Wednesday, Aug. 26. In fall 2025, the Katy campus enrolled nearly 1,000 students after a 73% increase from fall 2024.

The figure is preliminary.

The Katy growth is part of a university-wide surge. UH welcomed nearly 7,100 freshmen systemwide for fall 2026, topping 7,000 for the first time and setting a freshman record for the third straight year, according to an Aug. 24 news release. Completed freshman applications hit nearly 39,000, up 12% from fall 2025.

"Another record-breaking class of freshmen means one thing: more students are choosing the University of Houston," Diane Z. Chase, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, said in the release.

The acceptance rate dipped almost two percentage points to 75.8%. Merit scholarships for new undergraduates rose 18% from fall 2025 and are up 51% since 2024.

What's at the Katy campus

UH Katy offers programs through the C. T. Bauer College of Business, the Cullen College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Education, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, and Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. The Cullen College houses the nation's first subsea engineering program at the site.

Houston Community College's Katy campus sits directly across the street, and the two schools run the UH/HCC Engineering Academy. The pathway lets students complete associate coursework at HCC before finishing a bachelor's degree at UH Katy.

Affordability factor

UH has not raised tuition in several years. Through the Cougar Promise program, undergraduates from families earning $65,000 or less pay no tuition. Families earning up to $125,000 receive guaranteed discounts.

Statewide, college enrollment hit an all-time high in fall 2025 with more than 1.6 million students, according to preliminary data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The board has not published updated figures for the current year.

What's next

Bryan Luhn, UH director of media relations, said the university will finalize total enrollment data after the 12th class day. No specific date for that release has been announced.