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Former names | Wichita Falls Junior College (1922–1937) Hardin Junior College (1937–1946) Hardin College (1946–1950) Midwestern University (1950–1975) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Per Scientam ad Excellentiam |
Motto in English | Through Knowledge to Excellence |
| Type | Publicliberal arts university |
| Established | 1922; 104 years ago (1922) |
Parent institution | Texas Tech University System |
Academic affiliations | Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Endowment | $100 million (FY2025) (MSU only)[1] $3.35 billion (FY2025) (system-wide)[1] |
| Budget | $132 million (FY2026)[2] |
| Chancellor | Brandon Creighton |
| President | Stacia Haynie |
| Provost | Margaret Brown Marsden |
| Students | 5,287 (fall 2025)[3] |
| Undergraduates | 4,379 (fall 2025)[3] |
| Postgraduates | 908 (fall 2025)[3] |
| Location | , U.S. 33°52′26″N98°31′16″W / 33.87389°N 98.52111°W /33.87389; -98.52111 |
| Campus | Midsize city[4], 255 acres (103 ha) |
| Colors | Maroon and gold[5] |
| Nickname | Mustangs |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II –Lone Star |
| Mascot | Maverick T. Mustang |
| Website | msutexas.edu |
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Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) is apublicliberal arts university inWichita Falls, Texas. As of fall 2025, MSU Texas enrolled 5,287 students.[3] It is the state's only public institution focused on theliberal arts.[6]
Founded in 1922 as the municipally ownedWichita Falls Junior College, it was renamedHardin Junior College in 1937 when it moved fromWichita Falls High School to its present location off Taft Boulevard. In 1946, a senior division was added and it was renamedHardin College. In January 1950, the name changed toMidwestern University, with the junior college division remaining Hardin Junior College. In March 1948, the university became a member of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In January 1959, the university added a graduate school which received full approval from the State Board of Education in August of that year.[7]
A further change in the school's status came September 1, 1961, when by action of the 56th session of theTexas State Legislature, Midwestern University was transferred from the city of Wichita Falls to the Texas Colleges and Universities System and the junior college division was dissolved. In 1975, the Texas Legislature changed the name to Midwestern State University.[7]
From its beginnings as a municipal junior college housed in a high school building, Midwestern has become a state university whose campus of 255 acres and 70 buildings offers a wide variety of academic programs in liberal and fine arts, mathematics, sciences, business, and applied sciences.[7]
On March 9, 2015, the university announced that Suzanne Shipley was selected to become its next president, following Jesse Rogers' retirement after 48 years of service to the school.[8]
On December 13, 2016, the university broke ground on a new campus inFlower Mound, Texas. The two-story facility shares space withNorth Central Texas College and opened in June 2018.[9]
Since 2018, several incidents of racially motivated vandalism and harassment have been reported at Midwestern State University.[10][11][12] The university administration has been repeatedly criticized by students of color for its handling of such incidents, as well as for its perceived indifference to issues facing racial minorities more generally.[13] In 2018, the university faced widespread criticism from students in response to the administration's perceived indifference to sexual harassment and violence on campus.[14][15][16][17] A university administrator reportedly made a rape joke at a campus forum intended to discuss the issue.[18]
The Robert and Carol Gunn College of Health Sciences and Human Services officially opened up their new building, Centennial Hall, on September 6, 2019.[19]
In 2019, a Midwestern State University graduate student was publicly outed as a white supremacist.[20] The university was roundly criticized for its handling of the ensuing controversy.[21] The following year, the university was widely and publicly criticized for its response to a right-wing harassment campaign that had been directed against former philosophy professor Nathan Jun in response to controversial Facebook posts.[22][23][24][25] The following year the university was again criticized for allegedly forcing Jun to resign his tenured position by denying him a requested disability accommodation.[26][27] The allegation prompted an open letter of protest[28][29] that was eventually signed by more than 500 faculty members.[30][independent source needed]
On August 6, 2020, theTexas Tech University System and Midwestern State University agreed to a memorandum of understanding to begin the process of MSU Texas becoming the fifth university to join the system.[31] The process was completed on September 1, 2021, when HB 1522 went into effect.[32]
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| Master's | |
| Washington Monthly[33] | 235 |
| Regional | |
| U.S. News & World Report[34] | 75 |
Midwestern State University is organized into seven colleges with 16 undergraduate programs offering 43 majors and 30 minors, and 9 graduate programs offering 28 majors and 15 minors.
MSU is the only university in Texas with membership in theCouncil of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and was the first public university in Texas to establish a core curriculum. The university is also a member of theAssociation of American Colleges and Universities and theAssociation for Core Texts and Courses.
The Dalquest Desert Research Station[35] is located on 3,000 acres of West Texas soil north of theBig Bend Ranch State Park. The land was a gift from Walter W. Dalquest, a professor at MSU, and his wife, Rose, on the condition that it be used for scientific research by biologists and geologists. Today, the site is used by professors, students, naturalists, scientists, and educators.
Midwestern State fields 13 intercollegiateNCAA Division II athletic teams. MSU is a member of theLone Star Conference (LSC). The school mascot is the mustang.
The basketball and volleyball teams play atD.L. Ligon Coliseum. The football team plays atMemorial Stadium (Wichita Falls). The soccer teams play at the MSU Soccer Field. The softball team plays at Mustangs Park. The tennis teams play at the MSU Tennis Center.
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 43% | ||
| Hispanic | 26% | ||
| Black | 16% | ||
| International student | 4% | ||
| Two or more races | 4% | ||
| Asian | 3% | ||
| Unknown | 2% | ||
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 43% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 57% | ||
The university's campus covers 255 acres (1.0 km2) with over 50 buildings uniformly built of red brick with tiled roofs and arched facades.
Students can be members of 14 nationally affiliatedfraternities and sororities and more than 100 other student organizations including sports clubs. The campus also has a newspaper,The Wichitan, and a student-run television channel and production studio, M&G Media. The campus newspaper and production studio are housed in the Mass Communication wing of the Fain Fine Arts Center.[37]
Midwestern State has four residence halls; Legacy Hall, McCullough-Trigg Hall, Killingsworth Hall, and Pierce Hall (the latter of which is currently vacated for construction). It also has two apartments; Sundance Courts and Sunwatcher Village.
Dining services went through a major remodel in 2016, adding new storefronts.[38] Dining halls include the Mesquite Dining Hall and Maverick's Corner. New storefronts in the Clark Student Center includeChick-fil-A and ACE Sushi.Einstein Bros. Bagels is located in the Dillard College of Business Administration. A cafe called Campus Coffee was opened at the Bridwell Activities Center (built in 2021 and completed in 2022) in 2022.
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