Student enrollment at Texas colleges reached an all-time high of 1.6 million this fall, according to a preliminary analysis published by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The numbers cover undergraduate, graduate and professional program students enrolled at the state’s public and private higher education institutions. Enrollment across the board increased 4.7% compared to fall 2024. Private institutions saw the largest jump, at 6.7%. The total number surpassed the pre-pandemic numbers in each sector — health, professional, public and private — of higher education for the first time.
Texas had about 1,560,000 students enrolled in fall 2019, but that number dropped to nearly 1,490,000 by fall 2021 due to disruptions caused by the COVID19 pandemic. Higher ed institutions have steadily recovered since.
“The record enrollment numbers will help the state’s continuing efforts to build a talentstrong Texas and an increasingly educated workforce,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Wynn Rosser. “The collaborative work of state leaders, the THECB, and higher education institutions are geared towards helping our students advance in the rapidly growing Texas economy.”
Several of Texas’ largest universities had recordbreaking enrollment this year.
The Texas State University System announced that enrollment had exceeded 100,000 students this fall, a 7% increase to 2024. Texas State University saw the largest jump, from about 40,000 students in fall 2024 to about 44,500 students this year. The Texas State System also includes Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University, Lamar State College Orange, Lamar State College Port Arthur and the Lamar Institute of Technology.
The University of Texas at Austin enrolled 55,000 students in fall 2025, the highest in history. That included a class of 9,900 freshmen entering college for the first time, up 7.5% from the year before. UT-Austin received more than 90,000 applications for the fall 2025 term, an increase of 24.4% from 2024, and a jump of 51% from 2022.
“Student experience is important,” UT-Austin Senior Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Miguel Wasielewski said in an announcement. “We have intentionally controlled our rate of growth to make sure our facultystudent ratio, course selection, facilities and resources can enable every student to have a unique and engaging experience in and out of the classroom, which contributes to their performance.”
Texas Tech University also reported a fall enrollment increase for the fourth consecutive year. The university also enrolled over 7,600 freshman students, its largest first-year class in history. Angelo State University topped 12,000 students for the first time, up from about 11,500 in fall 2024. The largest jump came from international student enrollment, which increased by almost 20%.
“The combination of adding in-demand degree programs that help address industry needs, strong marketing and recruiting efforts, and innovative retention programs is both increasing our enrollment and ensuring our students persist through to graduation,” Angelo State President Ronnie Hawkins said in a statement.
However, some state universities have seen resources stretched thin by the increasing numbers of students on campus. Texas A&M University paused undergraduate enrollment growth for at least five years in January after a university study found that campus infrastructure was buckling under the strain.
During the pause, Texas A&M plans to invest in catching up to its student body, which reached 81,000 this year. Administrators will add about 2,500 housing beds, purchase new buses, build dining halls and study spaces and research plans to prepare for future growth.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will finalize enrollment numbers later this year.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
