About Texas State
Texas State's more than 36,000 students choose from 97 bachelor’s, 88 master’s and 12 doctoral degree programs offered by the following colleges: Applied Arts, McCoy College of Business Administration, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health Professions, Liberal Arts, Science and Engineering, University College and the Graduate College. As an Emerging Research University, Texas State offers opportunities for discovery and innovation to faculty and students.
Our students come from around the globe, and our student body is diverse. Forty-five percent of Texas State students are ethnic minorities. Hispanic Outlook magazine ranks Texas State 16th in the nation for total bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students. See the University Factbook for more information on our student body.
Texas State is proud to be a tobacco-free campus.
Texas State University is the only higher education institution to graduate a U.S. President, so you're in good company.
With a total of 2,200 acres of local parkland and natural areas, you'll always have a place to relax and recharge. Discover San Marcos.
Though our enrollment continues to grow, median undergraduate class size is just 23, allowing us to retain the feel of a smaller school.
Our Locations
Texas State's main campus is in San Marcos, a growing community of 58,000 people in the Austin Metropolitan Area. Located in the Texas Hill Country, where blackland prairies roll into beautiful hills, Texas State enjoys a setting that is unique among Texas universities.
The beauty of the crystal-clear San Marcos River and the stately cypress and oak trees on the campus add to the charm of the university’s picturesque setting. Our location on the banks of the San Marcos River provides recreational activities for students throughout the year.
The Texas State University Round Rock Campus is located north of Austin. Students there can take upper-level courses leading to bachelor’s degrees and complete master’s degree and certificate programs. Students who complete their degree requirements at the Round Rock Campus earn their degrees from Texas State University.
Learn more about the Round Rock Campus.
San Marcos Campus
Completed in 1903, the red-roofed, castle-like landmark called Old Main was Texas State's first building.
As the university's student population has grown — from 303 in 1903 to 38,006 in 2015 — our San Marcos campus also has expanded. Today it consists of a 491-acre main campus and 5,038 additional acres in recreational, instructional, farm and ranch land.
The Texas State campus is as diverse as the students who live and learn here. Our hilly grounds are home to 248 buildings. Some, like Old Main, are as old as the university itself. Others, such as the Performing Arts Center, opened in 2014, and more new buildings are scheduled for completion soon.
At The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment on the Texas State campus, you can see the second-largest springs in Texas through the floor of a glass-bottom boat or glass-bottom kayak. These springs feed the San Marcos River and are home to eight endangered species, including the Texas blind salamander. Our campus is one of the best places in the world to study aquatic ecosystems and species.
Our History
Authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School opened its doors in 1903. Over the years, the Legislature broadened the institution's scope and changed its name, in succession, to Southwest Texas State Normal College, Southwest Texas State Teachers College, Southwest Texas State College, Southwest Texas State University, and in 2003 to Texas State University.
Each name reflects the university's growth from a small teacher preparation institution to a major, multipurpose university. Texas State's original mission was to prepare Texas public school teachers. It became renowned for carrying out this mission, but today it does far more.
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