What kind of university it is
Texas State University is in San Marcos, Texas, within Hays County, in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is right in downtown Austin. If your child plans to live at home and drive every day, do not rely on the map: make the trip yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the app promises.
It is a public four-year institution, and the highest level it reports offering is the doctorate. That is a general institutional fact: it does not mean that the program your child is interested in reaches that level, or that undergraduate and graduate study are connected in that program. That must be asked program by program.
Carnegie, the system that classifies the country’s universities according to what they do, places it among doctoral universities with high research activity and describes it as a large, primarily nonresidential institution. That label applies when fewer than one in four undergraduate students live in institution-provided housing, or when fewer than half study full time—the report does not say which of the two conditions was met, and it also does not mean there are no residence halls. Carnegie also identifies it as one of the schools that enrolls many transfer students. If your child plans to enter after studying at another institution, ask in writing, before enrolling, which courses will be accepted and which will not.
One more thing, and it is worth stating clearly: Texas State University is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That does not say which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. You investigate that by asking which organizations and cultural centers exist today and by speaking with someone who already studies on campus.
Its size and who makes up this community
Here we need to talk about the true scale. In the latest official count, Texas State University reported 38,722 enrolled students—of whom 34,547 are undergraduates and 4,175 are graduate students. Above all, it is a bachelor’s-degree-focused school, and it is among the largest in its comparison group: only one in ten similar schools has more students.
A large school does not necessarily mean large classes. You have to ask about that directly: request the average class size in the first year and in the specific program your child wants.
As for who shares that campus: 42 out of every 100 undergraduate students were reported as Hispanic or Latino in the fall of 2023—close to half, and one of the highest proportions among the selective public four-year schools in this census. Nine out of ten of those schools reported an equal or lower proportion. Put another way: being Latino at Texas State would not be the exception; it would be part of the landscape.
But numbers and support are different things. A high percentage of Latino students does not tell you whether counseling is available in Spanish, whether there is targeted tutoring, or how many of those students complete their degrees. And it is the number for the entire school, not for the specific program your child is interested in.
There is more information about this community that is worth keeping handy:
| Data point | Figure |
|---|---|
| Women among undergraduates | 60 out of every 100 |
| Students ages 25 to 64 | 8 out of every 100 (minority) |
| New students with a permanent address in Texas | 97 out of every 100 |
How the academic year works and what it recognizes as prior credit
The calendar is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution stated that it accepts credit from AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior certifications, or military training. Stating that it accepts such credit does not mean your child will receive it automatically. Request a written equivalency evaluation before enrolling, and do not budget for savings in time or money until you have it in hand. One additional fact: the institution reported that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.
As for its academic offerings, Texas State awarded 7,042 bachelor’s degrees in one year, distributed across 27 fields of study. The field with the most degrees was business and management, and even so it accounted for only 16 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—the offerings are broad and distributed, not concentrated in a handful of programs. Those 27 fields are broad categories, not 27 specific programs: to find out whether your child’s exact program exists, ask for it by name.
One fact that deserves a close look: the ratio is 21 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member, a high ratio compared with similar schools. This is not class size—it is an institution-wide aggregate ratio. It does not replace asking directly how many students are in first-year classes and in classes for the program your child is interested in.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research, a complete evening or weekend program, and pathways for teacher certification preparation.
Getting in: what the application requires and how likely a yes is
Here is news that may reassure you: Texas State University does not have open admissions, but it is also not among the hardest schools to get into. In the 2023 cycle, it received 37,183 applications and offered admission to 33,273—89 out of every 100. It is a school that does admit applicants. Even so, 3,910 applicants did not receive an offer, so submitting a complete application on time still matters.
Of the nine admissions considerations tracked by the government, Texas State identifies five as required: the high school record, your child’s class rank, completion of the required college-preparatory coursework, the personal essay, and the English-proficiency exam when applicable. The following are not considered, even if submitted: high school GPA, letters of recommendation, a portfolio, work experience, or family legacy status.
Read that carefully: the essay is required. At this university, gathering documents is not enough—your child has to write, and write well. Your child should start that essay in the summer, not during the week of the deadline. The first draft is never the one that gets submitted. The published application fee is $75.
The SAT and ACT are optional—if submitted, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid just the same. Among enrolled students who did submit SAT scores (47 out of every 100), the middle half scored between 500 and 610 in reading/writing and between 480 and 580 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who were already admitted and submitted scores—they are not a minimum for admitting your child or a guarantee of anything.
Now, one figure that almost no family knows and that is worth understanding clearly: out of every 100 admitted students, only 24 ultimately enrolled here. The other 76 had a place and did not take it. This is not a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What I can tell you is this: what others decided does not predict what your family will be offered. Wait for your own letter showing the actual net price before removing this school from your list or adding it to the list.
About transfers: in the fall of 2023, 2,682 undergraduate students arrived who were entering for the first time after studying at another institution—one of the highest figures among comparable schools, although that also reflects the school’s size, not necessarily a higher proportion. How many credits each transfer student receives is a separate question, and it should be asked directly of the admissions office.
The cost: two prices, and the distance between them matters
At Texas State University, among 1,387 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,144. Among 829 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $16,117; among 1,026 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $23,150. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (1,387 students) and the highest-income band (1,026 students) is $11,006. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $15,307.
$12,144 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Financial aid and loans: keep the categories separate
In the 2022-23 school year, 58 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received aid that does not have to be repaid—a grant or scholarship. That is more than half, but not everyone. Among those who did receive it, the average was $8,626. Be careful: the percentage and the average do not share a denominator; one is based on all students, while the other is based only on those who received something. Do not multiply them by each other.
Additionally, 36 out of every 100 students received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for low-income families with demonstrated need.
About loans: 43 out of every 100 undergraduate students took out a federal loan that year, and those who borrowed received an average of $6,200. That percentage describes other families, not yours. And that average includes only federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include Parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or debt accumulated over several years. The amount your child would have to borrow comes from your child’s own financial aid letter, not this average. Wait for it before committing to the school.
The institution also reports payment mechanisms: a guaranteed tuition plan, a prepaid tuition plan, installment payments, and participation in a Promise program. It is worth asking about each one in detail.
Campus life, learning format, and support
Texas State does have its own housing, with a reported capacity of 6,753 students, on or off campus. It is not required for all first-time, full-time students—but that does not say whether a specific program might require it. The university also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed is available: request the price, deadline, and whether there is a waiting list in writing.
If your child is interested in ROTC, Texas State reports opportunities in the Army and Air Force, but not the Navy. Its inclusion in the report does not mean the program is taught on this specific campus—ask directly before building a plan around it.
The institution competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported participation in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country/track and field. If your child wants to pursue that path, write directly to the coach for the sport and request written confirmation of whether there is a place, which division they compete in, and whether athletic aid is available.
As for learning format: only 6 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their courses through distance education—the great majority take at least one class in person. The institution does report at least one complete program that can be completed through distance education, but confirm the exact credential level and program before assuming it applies to your child’s program.
The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan. The institution also reports academic and career counseling services, employment support, a point of contact for veterans and their families, and a webpage dedicated to services for people with disabilities.
Do they stay? Do they graduate? The persistence numbers
Here you have to read carefully because these are several different cohorts, and they should not be combined.
Of the students who entered full time in the fall of 2022, 78 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already earned a credential one year later. That is a moderately high proportion compared with similar schools. Students who entered part time that same fall had an outcome of 46 out of every 100—this is a different group, with different circumstances, and it should not be compared directly with the full-time group.
As for graduation: from a cohort of 5,724 students who began a bachelor’s degree in 2017 as full-time students, 56 out of every 100 had graduated from Texas State within six years. At four years, the figure was 37 out of every 100—19 points lower. That difference matters greatly for the family budget because four years is the timeframe most families have in mind. Before signing any commitment, ask in writing how long your child’s program usually takes, how required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if it extends for one more year.
A broader eight-year measure followed 11,169 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016: 63 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by August 2023. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 59 out of every 100—six points below the group without Pell. Another 9 out of every 100 had unknown enrollment status—that does not mean they dropped out, only that the report was unable to determine their status.
None of these figures tells you what will happen to your child. They are proportions from large groups in the past. What they do tell you is the kind of path others have taken at this institution, and that is real information for your plan.
What comes next is yours
You now know, in detail, one of the three pieces you need to decide: what Texas State University really is, how much it costs, what it requires, and what the students who chose it before have experienced there. That piece is solid, and it is yours to keep.
But you still need the other two. One is what your child wants to study, what your child has built in high school, and the kind of life your child imagines—whether staying close to home is urgent or your child is ready to leave. The other is what your family can truly afford and what it is willing to commit to, without guessing at figures before having the financial aid letter in hand.
Put all three together and a real plan appears, not a hunch. It is your child’s responsibility to write the essay, choose a program, and take ownership of that part of the journey. It is your responsibility to understand the money, ask the uncomfortable questions ahead of time, and offer support without carrying the entire system alone. You are already doing that.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by Texas State University to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily corresponding to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Texas State University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.