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Former names | The John Tarleton College (1899–1917) John Tarleton Agricultural College (1917–1949) Tarleton State College (1949–1973) |
|---|---|
| Type | Publicresearch university |
| Established | September 7, 1899; 126 years ago (1899-09-07) |
Parent institution | Texas A&M University System |
| Endowment | $42 million (2016)[1] |
| President | James L. Hurley |
| Students | 14,092 (fall 2022)[2] |
| Undergraduates | 12,012 |
| Postgraduates | 2,080 |
| Location | , U.S. |
| Campus | Urban, 1,973 acres (798 ha) |
| Colors | Purple & white |
| Nickname | Texans |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Website | www |
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Tarleton State University is apublicresearch university inStephenville, Texas, United States. It is a founding member of theTexas A&M University System[3] and enrolled over 15,000 students in the fall of 2022.[4][5] It isclassified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".[6]
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John Tarleton College was founded in 1887 with an endowment from settlerJohn Tarleton.[7] In 1917, U.S. Senator and Stephenville residentHenry Clark co-authored and presented legislation establishingJohn Tarleton Agricultural College as a member of theTexas A&M University system, certifying the Junior College within the Educational System of Texas.[8] In 1949, it was again renamedTarleton State College then became a four-year degree-granting institution in 1959. Tarleton gained status as a university in 1973 adopting its current name,Tarleton State University.[9] In 2003 it began offering doctoral programs.[10]
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| U.S. News & World Report[11] | 373(tie) |
| Washington Monthly[12] | 243 |
| WSJ/College Pulse[13] | 371 |
The university offers 85 undergraduate, 38 masters, 2 associate degree programs, and 2 doctoral programs.[4]
Degrees are offered through eight colleges:[14]
The Department of Animal Sciences oversees the Tarleton Equine-Assisted Therapy (TREAT) program[15] that is designed to utilize horseback riding as a form of physical, emotional and recreational therapy.Hippotherapy (physical therapy on horseback using the horse as a therapist) has developed as a medical field recognized by most major countries.
The Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER)[16] on the Tarleton campus plays a national leadership role in environmental issues related to water quality. This program provides the university, the dairy and beef industries, environmental control agencies and governmental policy groups with water pollution data for the 230,000-acre (930 km2) Upper NorthBosque River watershed.[16]
In fall 2002 the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas opened at a site located nearThurber, aghost town located approximately 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Stephenville and about one hour west of the DFW Metroplex.[17] Funded through a $1.2 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation and a private gift from Mrs. W.K. Gordon Jr. The center is located on 4.1 acres (17,000 m2) near the site of Texas' first coal mine and adjacent to New York Hill alongInterstate 20.[18] The center is dedicated to the preservation, research and recording of Texas industrial history including coal mining, brick making and oil and gas exploration.[17]
Tarleton operates two radio stations.KXTR-LP 100.7 FM is a student-operated rock station,[19] whileKTRL 90.5 FM is a public radio station broadcasting news, classical music, and jazz.[20] Both are operated by students of Tarleton State University out of the radio station located in the Mathematics building on the TSU campus.[19][20] Tarleton State University is one of three universities in the state of Texas to own and operate two radio stations; the other institutions being theUniversity of Texas at Austin andTexas Tech University.[21]
Tarleton students come from 47 U.S. states and 40 countries.[4] Most university activities take place on Tarleton's 180-acre (0.73 km2) main campus.[22] An 800-acre (3.2 km2) operational university farm with classroom space is located near the main campus northwest of Stephenville with access from TX Highway 8 andUS Route 281.[23] The 1,170-acre (4.7 km2) Hunewell Ranch is located in Erath County and provides additional educational facilities.[24] Tarleton also offers specialized programs at its Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center inGranbury[25] and select programs and courses atMcLennan Community College in Waco,Weatherford College inWeatherford,Bryan at the Texas A&M-RELLIS Campus, and in Fort Worth.[26] Upper-level courses were offered at Tarleton-Central Texas inKilleen until 2009 whenTexas A&M University-Central Texas was formed as a separate institution.[27]
Most university activities take place on Tarleton's main campus inStephenville, the county seat ofErath County.[28]
The main campus in Stephenville features a 72,000-square-foot (6,700 m2) sports recreation center opened in fall 2007.[29][30]
A $13 million, 42,000-square-foot (3,900 m2) dining facility opened in fall 2008. The new building is an extension of the student center and has two floors, a convenience store, executive meeting rooms and a cafe with a wireless network.[31]
In 2001, the university completed a $30.8 million science building complete with a 86-seatplanetarium.[32] In 2014, the Science Building was named for Lamar Johnson a former professor of biological sciences and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.[33] The old science building[34] went through an extensive $13.5 million renovation and expansion upgrading laboratories and classrooms. This building is now named the Mathematics Building.[35] An observatory at Hunewell Ranch[36] houses a fully robotic 32-inch-diameter (810 mm) research-gradetelescope.
The Dick Smith Library is a three-floor facility that houses materials including print books, periodicals, curriculum collection, audio-visual material, e-books, streaming media, and special collections.[37]
The University opened the EECU Center in 2025. The center seats up to 8,000 for basketball games or 10,000 people for concerts.[38]
Other notable buildings:[35]
Tarleton–Fort Worth is a campus located inTarrant County. The university has maintained a presence inFort Worth since assuming control of the C.C. Terrell Memorial School of Medical Technology in the 1970s. In 2019, the university opened the first dedicated academic building[44] on an 80–acre campus is located adjacent to theChisholm Trail Parkway in southwestTarrant County. The building, referred to as "Building I,"[45] is a 76,000-square-foot (7,100 m2), three story multi-use facility with classroom, office space, and a library.[46][47] The campus is projected to enroll over 9,000 students by 2030.[48]
The current and 16th president isJames L. Hurley who was appointed by theTexas A&M University System Board of Regents in August 2019.[49] Diane Stearns is the Chief Academic Officer serving asProvost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.[50]
As a member of the Texas A&M University System, Tarleton is one of a network of 11 higher educational institutions administered by aChancellor and aBoard of Regents. Regents are appointed by theGovernor. The current Chancellor isGlen Hegar and chair of the Board of Regents is Robert Albritton.[51][52]
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 1% | ||
| White | 64% | ||
| Hispanic | 23% | ||
| Black | 6% | ||
| Two or more races | 3% | ||
| Asian | 1% | ||
| International student | 1% | ||
| Unknown | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 38% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 62% | ||
Tarleton State University athletics currently competes at theNCAA Division I level in theWestern Athletic Conference (WAC). They were admitted into the WAC on July 1, 2020, therefore ending their 26-year stint at theDivision II level with theLone Star Conference (LSC).[54] Their admission into the LSC in 1995 marked their second period of membership, having previously participated from 1968 to 1975. They were a founding member of theTexas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) in 1976 and remained in that league until 1990. From 1991 to 1994 Tarleton played as an Independent.
The teams are known as the "Texans". Athletes were known as the "Plowboys" before the college became a four-year institution in 1961.
When women's sports were introduced in 1968–69, those teams played under the "Texans" nickname, but due to the desire of that day's female athletes to play under a distinctive nickname, the women's nickname was changed the next school year. "Texanns", "Tex-Anns", and "TexAnns" were used interchangeably until 1972–73, when "TexAnns" was officially settled on. Following a campaign initially led by two players and a (female) student manager in the women's basketball program, Tarleton returned the "Texans" nickname to women's teams in 2019–20.[55]
The basketball and volleyball teams play atWisdom Gym.[56] The football team plays atMemorial Stadium. The baseball team plays atCecil Ballow Baseball Complex. The softball team plays at the Tarleton Softball Complex.
Tarleton State University fields six men's varsity sports and eight women's varsity sports in the Western Athletic Conference:[57]
| Men's | Women's |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross Country |
| Cross Country | Golf |
| Football | Soccer |
| Track & Field[c] | Softball |
| Tennis | |
| Track & Field[c] | |
| Volleyball |
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The music program at Tarleton State University is a fully accredited member of theNational Association of Schools of Music. It is housed in theClyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center. This multi-purpose fine arts complex contains three theatres: a 243-seat recital hall, an 805-seat auditorium, and the workshop theatre. There is a 16-keyboard piano lab and computer lab. The instrument collection includes two nine-foot concert Steinway grand pianos, the Waggener Memorial Organ (a tracker two-manual pipe organ), a Richard Kingston harpsichord, and several Steinway grand pianos that are designated for piano majors to practice. The university currently offers three music degrees, which areBachelor of Arts in music,Bachelor of Music in music education (with all-level certification) and the Bachelor of Music in performance. It currently offers one online graduate degree,Master of Music in music education. The program has over 150 full-time enrolled students with 80% being instrumental studies and 20% being vocal studies. The Tarleton music department hosts many festivals and clinics throughout the school year, including Brass Day, TMEA All-Region Band clinics, Jazz Festival, Invitational Band Festival, TMEA Area Choir clinics, and the Let All Men Sing![58][59]
Music ensembles include The Sound and the Fury, The Texan Marching Band, Foul Play Basketball Band, Chamber Winds, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, two jazz bands, Brass Ensemble, Woodwind Chamber Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble, Horn Choir, and Flute Choir.[60]
TheTexan Corps of Cadets was founded in 1917 when John Tarleton Agriculture College joined the Texas A&M University system. The Corps of Cadets was initially known as "Johns Army".[61] The Corps of Cadets survived through the end of the 1950s. Until 2016, the school had only an Army ROTC program. In 2016 the Texan Corps of Cadets was brought back to the university.[62]
The Texan Corps of Cadets offers students an opportunity to obtain a minor in Leadership Studies. All cadets live together in a residence hall at Tarleton called Traditions. All cadets wear their uniforms to class every day and must abide by the regulations set forth in the "Chisel".[63]
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