“Public R2 research university in San Marcos, Texas with nine colleges and over 200 degree programs.”
Texas State University (TXST) is a public R1 research university in San Marcos, Texas, sitting directly on the spring-fed San Marcos River between Austin (30 miles north) and San Antonio (50 miles south) along the Interstate 35 corridor — one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. Founded in 1899 as a normal school that famously educated President Lyndon B. Johnson, Texas State has grown into one of the largest universities in the state, enrolling a record 44,596 students in Fall 2025 across 104 bachelor's, 94 master's, and 23 doctoral programs in nine colleges. The university earned Carnegie R1 'very high research activity' status in the most recent classification, reflecting fast-rising research output in the sciences, computing, engineering, and geography. Academically, TXST's signature strengths span Psychology (the university's most popular major), Business (McCoy College, AACSB-accredited), Criminal Justice (Ingram School), Exercise Science, Computer Science, Communication Studies, and Geography (one of the country's top geography departments and home to the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment). Its Bobcats athletics program competes at NCAA Division I FBS in the Sun Belt Conference, and Texas State was recognized by U.S. News 2026 with a 16-spot climb to tie for No. 257 among National Universities, alongside strong showings for Social Mobility and six highly ranked online graduate programs. Campus life at Texas State is distinctive because of its setting: the 517-acre main campus sits directly on the headwaters of the San Marcos River, and tubing, swimming, and spring-fed weekends are as much a part of student life as its 400-plus student organizations, Greek community, and big-program athletics. The city of San Marcos and the Austin–San Antonio corridor provide unusually rich internship and career pipelines in tech, government, healthcare, and entertainment. For international students — roughly 2% of enrollment, drawn from more than 80 countries — TXST offers a dedicated International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office, merit scholarships up to $12,000/year (President's Honor), the Good Neighbor Program for Western Hemisphere nationals, and the Tuition Assistance for Mexican Students (TAMS) program that brings F-1 students from Mexico closer to resident tuition rates.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Top Public Schools
US News 2026
International Student Enrollment (F-1)
DHS SEVIS by the Numbers (2024)
Research Activity
Carnegie Classifications (2021)
Research Classification
Carnegie
Forensic Anthropology Center
Wikipedia
Research classification
Carnegie Classification
Forensic research facility
Texas State University
Hispanic-Serving Institution
U.S. Department of Education
Fulbright U.S. Students
Fulbright Program
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceFall Priority Deadline
Priority consideration for admission and scholarships
Fall Final Deadline
Space and aid availability not guaranteed after priority date
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$11,450
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$22,930
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
4 years
ABET-accredited program with a growing AI/cybersecurity focus; located within easy reach of the Austin tech corridor (Oracle, Tesla, Apple, Samsung) for internships.
4 years
One of the largest and most research-active undergraduate geography programs in the US, with specializations in GIS, water resources, and environmental planning.
4 years
AACSB-accredited BBA with majors in finance, marketing, management, accounting, and MIS — strong pipeline into San Antonio and Austin corporates.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $22,930
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
