Recent Updates

Published February 20, 2025

$675 Million in Campus Transformation Projects

A thriving university needs spaces that inspire learning, innovation, and connection. Our long-term vision is becoming reality with more than $675 million in construction projects underway. Here are a few of the major projects transforming our campuses.

  • Weisman Football Performance Center – This space is already in use, with an official dedication planned for April, combining state-of-the-art athletic training, team spaces, and hospitality areas.
  • Castro Residence Hall – This 942-bed student residence community with study spaces and a gaming lounge is scheduled to open in summer 2025.
  • Esperanza Hall (Round Rock) – TXST Round Rock’s fourth academic building, will offer classrooms and student spaces, set for completion in 2026.
  • STEM Classroom Building – Opening in 2026, this facility will feature cutting-edge instructional and research labs for mathematics and computer science.
  • Hilltop 2 – Breaking ground in July, this 1,500-bed residence hall with a 550-seat dining facility will be the largest construction project in TXST history. 

These projects and others are shaping the future of TXST, creating spaces that support students today and for generations to come. Our 2025-2035 University Campus Master Plan goes to the TSUS Board of Regents for approval in May 2025. We will provide an update and overview when the plan is official. 

More Bobcats Than Ever: Record-Breaking Enrollment Continues 

More students than ever are choosing Texas State, and our numbers continue to break records. Building on our historic Fall 2024 enrollment high, we kept the momentum going for the Spring 2025 semester.    

  • Spring 2025 Enrollment – 37,356 students, a 6.4% increase over last year.
  • Freshman Retention – 93% of freshmen returned from fall to spring. This is a great point of pride and reflects the strength of our student experience and student success efforts.
  • Fall 2025 Applications – Freshman applications have surpassed 46,000 for the first time, a 17% increase from last year’s record.  The number of admitted freshmen is up 30% compared to last year at this time. And, we are on track to set another record for Bobcat Day attendance on February 22 with more than 2,700 future Bobcats registered. 

At this point, we are projecting to reach our Fall 2025 freshman enrollment goal of 9,000. 

Expanding Access: Bringing TXST to More Students

This year, we continue to make a TXST education more accessible through new programs, partnerships, and locations: 

  • Round Rock Growth – We are increasing degree program offerings at Round Rock to meet the rapidly growing workforce needs of the area and to give students more options to complete their degrees close to home. After adding new degree programs, Round Rock enrollment increased 21% for the Fall 2024 semester and almost 15% for the spring semester due to our efforts. For Fall 2025, we are already breaking records with more than 2,000 applicants and 1,200 admitted students.
  • Regional College Partnerships – We launched transfer and co-enrollment partnerships with four community colleges and are completing agreements with at least five others for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 to expand student pathways to earn a TXST degree close to home while saving money.
  • Online Program Expansion – We launched 40 new online degree programs over the past year with 500 students enrolled this spring semester. We are working to increase the number of programs and degrees available based on workforce needs.  
  • Flexible Academic Calendars – New winter and May mini-mesters now provide more opportunities to earn credits year-round.  
  • Global Reach – After launching our first international campus in Querétaro, Mexico last fall, we are also collaborating with leading universities in England, Brazil, Australia, Italy, Spain, Scotland, Japan, Germany, and India to partner with them on smaller-scale degree programs and summer courses on their campuses.  
  • Austin Presence – In Fall 2025, TXST plans to offer MBA and MPA programs in Austin to expand access for working professionals and raise the university’s profile in the market.  (Pending TSUS Board of Regents approval.) 

TXST is R1 Bound: Research Growth Surging  

Our research enterprise is stronger than ever, and we are well on our way to achieving R1 status by 2027. In fact, we have already surpassed the necessary metrics to qualify and, in many ways, already operate as a top-tier national research university.

Over the past decade, we have tripled our research expenditures, reaching $165 million in 2024. That puts us in the top 20% of research universities nationwide.  

Our main challenge to reaching R1 status has been our relatively small number of Ph.D. programs and graduates. We have nearly doubled our doctoral programs in just 18 months and are on track to sustain record-breaking doctoral graduation rates.  

But for us, research is not just about prestige—it is about impact.   

Here are some of the areas you will see us focus on as we tackle some of Texas’ biggest challenges:

  • Water & Environment – Our Meadows Center is leading national research on water conservation and purification. We are taking Governor Abbott’s recent commitment to invest $1 billion to improve the water supply in Texas and are working toward becoming the preeminent water research university in the country.  
  • Semiconductor Manufacturing – TXST is supporting CHIPS Act initiatives to expand microchip production and workforce development in Texas.  
  • Texas Community Safety – Through the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center and the Texas School Safety Center, TXST is improving school safety and mental health programs.  
  • Data Science & AI – Our Center for Analytics and Data Science is preparing Texas to be a leader in cutting-edge technology. 

Texas University Fund (TUF): Surpassing Metrics for Full Funding 

  • TXST is one of only four institutions included in the new Texas University Fund, a $4B endowment supporting research growth at public universities. 
  • TXST received $30 million from TUF this year, but we have exceeded the federal research threshold to receive $70 million next year if the Texas legislature adds to the TUF corpus.  
  • If passed, this increased TUF funding will help double our number of doctoral programs, recruit more world-class researchers, and expand research infrastructure and facilities.

Investing in Athletics: Elevating Student-Athletes & Fans 

  • We remain committed to providing top-tier facilities and support for our student-athletes. The Weisman Football Performance Center is just the beginning, with more infrastructure improvements planned.
  • TXST is taking a forward-thinking approach to NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities, ensuring our athletes are positioned for success in the evolving collegiate sports landscape.