Texas State University

What is the history of Texas State University?

Texas State University is a public university founded in 1899 to prepare teachers for Texas schools. It opened in San Marcos in 1903 as Southwest Texas State Normal School and expanded well beyond teacher education as its programs and enrollment grew.

Its changing names reflect that development: it became Southwest Texas State Teachers College, later Southwest Texas State College, and then Southwest Texas State University. The institution adopted the name Texas State University-San Marcos in 2003 and Texas State University in 2013. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who graduated in 1930, is among its best-known alumni. Today, Texas State offers undergraduate and graduate study across fields ranging from education and business to engineering and health professions.

What are the faculties and departments at Texas State University?

Texas State organizes its academic programs into colleges rather than a single undifferentiated faculty. Its major academic units include the College of Applied Arts, McCoy College of Business, College of Education, College of Fine Arts and Communication, College of Health Professions, College of Liberal Arts, and College of Science and Engineering. The Honors College and Graduate College serve students across disciplines.

Prospective undergraduates can explore programs such as computer science, criminal justice, journalism, nursing, psychology, social work, and engineering. The university also offers master's and doctoral degrees. Some programs have separate admission standards, clinical placements, professional prerequisites, or locations; for example, students considering nursing or another health profession should check where required courses and clinical work take place. An admission offer to the university does not necessarily mean admission to a selective major.

The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 22 to 1. That institution-wide measure does not predict the size of an individual lecture, laboratory, or seminar, so course availability and program-specific advising matter when comparing majors.

What is the location of Texas State University?

Texas State's main campus is in San Marcos, Texas, between Austin and San Antonio. The university also has a Round Rock Campus; applicants should check their program's location rather than assume that every degree is based in San Marcos.

San Marcos has a walkable downtown near campus, while the wider area is car-oriented. Students who live off campus should consider their class schedule, parking arrangements, and Bobcat Shuttle routes when estimating commute time. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a regional air-travel option. For students weighing internships or employment in Austin or San Antonio, distance on a map is less useful than the actual travel time required by a particular schedule.

What is the mission and vision of Texas State University?

Texas State describes its mission as providing undergraduate and graduate education while advancing research, creative activity, and service. As a public university, it frames access to education and service to Texas communities as institutional priorities.

Its vision emphasizes the university's role as a research institution and the opportunities available to its students and surrounding communities. These are statements of institutional intent, not measures of what every student will experience. Applicants can assess how those priorities appear in a particular department through its curriculum, faculty research, advising, and opportunities for undergraduate participation.