Dear Colleagues:
The enrollment numbers for the semester are in, and I am pleased to tell you that Texas State University has set another record, with well over 47,000 students as of this morning. More students will continue to enroll throughout the semester, so we won’t know the final numbers until late October. Just two years ago, we made history by enrolling more than 40,000 students for the first time. Today, we are well beyond that milestone, and we continue to be the fastest-growing university in Texas. That is the power of TXST momentum.
This is more than an enrollment record. These record numbers are now translating into record graduation numbers, meaning that a record number of lives are being changed through a TXST education. More students than ever are earning high-quality TXST degrees, which opens the door to a stronger future for themselves, their families, and the communities they will serve.
TXST is growing because Texas needs us to grow. Our state needs more college graduates, more teachers, health professionals, scientists, entrepreneurs, inventors, artists, and leaders. It needs a university that expands access to a college degree without compromising quality, while preparing graduates to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Our growth is intentional and strategic. While we have purposely kept undergraduate enrollment growth in in-person programs at our San Marcos Campus at a moderate pace (up just 2% over last fall), our other strategic growth engines are accelerating. The number of students served by our Round Rock Campus is up 37%, graduate enrollment is up 20%, new doctoral enrollment is up 67%, fully online enrollment is up 54%, and international enrollment is up 9%. We are also strengthening clear pathways from community colleges to TXST through active co-enrollment programs, including the addition of more than 400 students enrolled through our Lamar State College Orange Pathway partnership. In fact, we set 11 enrollment records this fall. Kudos to everyone on our teams who made that happen.
I know rapid growth creates real pressure. We cannot deliver the kind of student experience we promise without investing in the people who create it every day – the faculty and staff members who teach, mentor, advise, support, and welcome our students. Supporting you remains one of my highest priorities. Since 2022, we have added over 1,100 employees (402 faculty members, 423 staff members, and 294 graduate assistants). We have also significantly increased the compensation of all of our employees (adding just shy of $100M in salary expenditures since 2022). These are just a few of the significant investments we have made. The investments reflect a simple truth – we know that our students experience TXST through you. Their success depends on you. There is more to do, and I am committed to continue creating the kind of environment that allows you to continue to do your best work.
For more information about this semester’s enrollment, including the 11 categories in which we set records, please see the press release.
Thank you for the work you do every day to open doors to a better life for our students. I am proud of what we are accomplishing together, and I am grateful for all you do to ensure that TXST’s growth delivers an even greater impact for our students, their communities, across the state, and around the world. It is indeed (another) great day to be a Bobcat!
Best,
Kelly Damphousse