Texas is the home of some of America’s largest universities including Texas A&M, which enrolls over 60% students from minorities and Freshmen receive $40 millions in scholarship money. In this article, we’ve listed the biggest colleges in Texas and their specific statistics below.
1. Texas A&M University
Total Enrollment: 63,859 (2019)
Texas A&M University is a public institution of higher education created by the Texas Legislature in 1871. It was originally intended to be located in San Antonio, but later changed to its current location in College Station. The 1959 Texas Legislature made it a member of the Texas A&M University System.
Texas A&M’s sub-campuses are located in Bryan/College Station, Galveston, Texarkana, and Qatar.
The university offers academic programs in disciplines such as agriculture, architecture, education, engineering, liberal arts and sciences, medicine, nursing and public health , veterinary medicine , business administration…etc. Texas A&M’s student body consists of 50,959 students from a wide variety of different backgrounds. The university employs 3,224 faculty members. The Student to Faculty Ratio is 20:1 .
Texas A&M’s main campus (located at College Station) spans 1,500 acres and has more than 1,000 buildings . It contains an estimated 2 million gross square feet of constructed space.
The University remains the only four-year school in Texas to be affiliated with a single, contiguous land-grant university.
2. The University of Texas at Austin
Total Enrollment: 50,476 (2020)
MEN: 22,994
WOMEN: 27,482
Cost of attendance:
Undergraduate
In-state
$11,448
Out-of-state
$40,032
Graduate
In-state
$12,028
Out-of-state
$22,886
The University of Texas at Austin (UT) is a public research university located in Austin, Texas. Established in 1883, it is the flagship institution of The University of Texas System.
UT Austin was inducted into the Association of American Universities in 1929, becoming only the third university in the American South to be elected. It has repeatedly been cited as one of the world’s most beautiful universities, owing to its warm, classical architecture. UT Austin students also benefit from the university’s strong emphasis on community service and volunteerism—more than 80% of students participate in community service, donating more than 3 million hours annually.
In addition to a booming research enterprise that includes approximately 6000 faculty members, UT Austin also offers more than 150 degree programs to more than 50,000 students. Popular offerings include business and engineering among the nation’s top 10 and liberal arts and sciences, which boasts nearly 200 academic majors across more than 40 departments.
The University of Texas at Austin is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
3. University of Houston
Total Enrollment: 50,476 (2020)
MEN: 22,864
WOMEN: 24,226
Cost of attendance:
Undergraduate
In-state
$9,457
Out-of-state
$21,673
Graduate
In-state
$9,547
Out-of-state
$18,689
The University of Houston is one of the largest university in Texas by enrollment, with over 47,090 students. Originally called Houston College it opened its doors as a two year junior college. The first President was William Ransom Hogan who served from 1927 to 1938 and 1942 to 1945 during which time the school grew from 700 students to 1063.
University of Houston is home to several notable alumni including former President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and many other politicians and business leaders.
University of Houston has a large number of sports teams.
The University campus is located in southeast Houston and covers a total area of 1,438 acres or 4.5 square kilometers with an additional 150 acres occupied by the Energy Research Park that was acquired from Texas Eastern Corporation in 1987. The campus is bisected by Cullen Boulevard with most of the academic buildings on the north side. The south side has many athletic facilities including Hofheinz Pavilion, Delmar Fieldhouse, and Robertson Stadium.
The University Library was originally housed in a small section of the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building which opened in 1938 with an initial collection of 10,000 books. The first addition was built in 1948 to house one million volumes and since then it has expanded several times, including the first underground levels which opened in 1970.
University of Houston has a history that stretches back for nearly a century to a time when it was known as Houston College with its first President being William Ransom Hogan.
4. The University of Texas at Arlington
Total Enrollment: 48,072 (2020)
MEN: 17,401
WOMEN: 30,671
Cost of attendance:
Undergraduate
In-state
$11,378
Out-of-state
$28,524
Graduate
In-state
$10,544
Out-of-state
$23,376
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research institution located in Arlington, Texas, United States. With more than 48,072 students.
The school is also home to the College Park Center, an indoor arena that was opened in 2011. The $78 million facility is used for various athletic events, concerts, and other campus activities.
In the spring of 2018, noted social media and gaming company, Snap Inc., selected UTA as a site for a new advanced research center. This facility will be one of the first of its kind on a college campus in the nation and is expected to boost opportunities for collaboration between computer scientists and experts in other fields such as education, medicine, and business.
The University of Texas at Arlington hosts a student body representing all 50 states and over 114 countries. Nearly 60 percent of the student population is from out-of-state, hailing from as far away as China or Ethiopia. In addition to traditional undergraduate students, the school also enrolls more than 3,500 graduate students as well as more than 1,000 law and health professionals pursuing continuing education.
The school is also home to the Eagle Commons Dining Facility, a massive dining hall that opened in 2010 and includes seating for over 2,500 students at a time. The facility has been named by the National Association of College and University Food Services as a recipient of its NACUFS Award of Excellence.
Considered to be a “young” university, The University of Texas at Arlington was only founded in 1895 and opened its doors in September 1911.
5. Texas State University
Total Enrollment: 37,812 (2020)
MEN: 15,200
WOMEN: 22,612
Cost of attendance:
Undergraduate
In-state
$10,855
Out-of-state
$22,307
Graduate
In-state
$8,859
Out-of-state
$17,040
Texas State University, also known as ‘Texas State’ or just ‘State,’ is a public institution of higher learning in San Marcos, Texas. It was the first American state-supported university when it branched from its predecessor, Texas State University-San Marcos to become an independent entity.
Texas State is notable for its diverse student body, and more than half of the university’s students come from ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented in American higher education.
The closest airport to Texas State is San Marcos Regional Airport (HYI) which is located 12 miles away. A variety of bus lines serve the city, and the city has a public transportation network consisting of buses and trolleys known as ‘VIA.’ San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is roughly 90 miles away and offers flights to and from major cities throughout the country.
The main campus for Texas State was originally constructed near the headwaters of the San Marcos River and has grown and evolved since its establishment in 1899 as Southwest Texas State Normal School. The modern, 500-acre campus is home to eight academic colleges. The school’s mascot is the bobcat, and the school’s colors are blue and gold. The university’s alma mater is “The Eyes of Texas are Upon You.” The main campus in San Marcos has been designated a national arboretum. The Department of Horticulture manages over 100 acres of gardens on campus, including an ecological preserve consisting of bottomland forest that is home to native trees and wildlife.
The university’s main campus is in San Marcos, but Texas State also has two satellite campuses in Round Rock and the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. The school offers courses through distance education online and at several community colleges throughout the state. Additionally, students may study abroad in many international locations through the university’s Study Abroad Program.
6. University of North Texas
Total Enrollment: 40,953 (2020)
MEN: 18,534
WOMEN: 22,419
Cost of attendance:
Undergraduate
In-state
$11,090
Out-of-state
$20,906
Graduate
In-state
$8,256
Out-of-state
$15,618
The University of North Texas (UNT), located in Denton, has an enrollment of more than 40,953 students. The official school colors are black and green. UNT’s athletic teams are known as the Mean Green.
UNT opened its first building on October 10, 1890. The first building housed both the classroom and the administration offices.
Eighty-four students enrolled at UNT in its first year, but only four graduated. The first graduating class was 1894.
UNT’s second year saw growth in enrollment, with nine graduates that year.
In the earliest days of Denton, there were no public schools; children went to private institutions or studied at home. The first public school wasn’t built until 1880, and classes were held in rented rooms scattered throughout the city.
In 1887, a bill was introduced to the Texas Legislature calling for Denton’s transformation into a “college town.” On October 10, 1890 the bill was signed by Governor S. W. T. Lanham, establishing the University of North Texas and in so doing making Denton the first city in Texas to be home to a public university.
7. Texas Tech University
Total Enrollment: 40,322 (2020)
MEN: 20,336
WOMEN: 19,986
Cost of attendance:
Undergraduate
In-state
$11,600
Out-of-state
$23,870
Graduate
In-state
$9,350
Out-of-state
$17,530
Texas Tech University, commonly referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on February 10 , 1923 and originally known as Texas Technological College (TTC), the university is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has one of the largest student body in the state of Texas. It is a leading institution in federal space and defense technology, as well as research in the biological sciences , environmental science , computing, and engineering .
The university’s distinctive name derives from its origins with the Texas Technological College (now known as Texas Tech University) being the first public institution of higher education in the state of Texas. It had a record high enrollment of over 16,000 students and offered preliminary courses in 1925 , but would not actually enroll undergraduates until 1927.
8. The University of Texas at San Antonio
Total Enrollment: 34,742 (2020)
MEN: 16,699
WOMEN: 18,043
Cost of attendance:
Undergraduate
In-state
$8,566
Out-of-state
$20,572
Graduate
In-state
$8,291
Out-of-state
$25,807
UTSA is part of the University of Texas System of universities, which includes The University of Texas at Austin, UT Pan American, UT Permian Basin, Angelo State University and UT Tyler.
The seven universities are campuses of one university system governed by a single Board of Regents.
The University of Texas at San Antonio was first proposed in 1959. UTSA began as the campus of the former San Antonio College, which was founded in 1925 to serve Hispanic students under the name Laredo Junior College. UTSA’s creation was authorized by the 69th Texas Legislature and signed into law by then Governor Preston Smith on June 5, 1969.
On August 10, 1970, the Board of Regents purchased the campus of St. Mary’s University and opened classes at Main and 18th streets on September 28 as The University of Texas at San Antonio.
UTSA continued to grow and by fall semester 1973 had attained senior college status; then-President Arleigh B. Templeton credited the rapid growth of the university to its first chancellor, Dr. Arno Nowotny.
Since then, UTSA has developed into a dynamic center of teaching and learning, as well as research and public service. The main campus features innovative architecture designed to create an aesthetically pleasing work environment for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
While UTSA is known for its educational excellence, the non-profit institution has become a major economic engine in South Texas with an annual influx of $590.7 million into the region. UTSA was recognized by The Dallas Morning News as one of 2011’s Top 10 “Great Colleges to Work For” for the fourth consecutive year.