Tarleton State University

A brand of learning uniquely suited to a global future

One of the reasons cowboys and culture blend so seamlessly in Stephenville is Tarleton State University. Founded in 1899 as a private liberal arts college, Tarleton joined the Texas A&M system in 1917; today it is the largest non land-grant agricultural university in the U.S., and has become one of the fastest growing institutions of higher learning in Texas, with an academic enrollment of over 12,000 that includes students from 34 countries as well as 48 U.S. states. And while Tarleton first made its mark in agricultural science, today its graduate and undergraduate degree offerings number nearly 100 within six colleges: science and technology; agricultural and environmental sciences; business administration; health sciences and human services; liberal and fine arts; and education. In fact, Tarleton is a leader in teacher education with one of the oldest and largest public school improvement partnerships in the U.S.—a partnership that benefits the students here in Stephenville as well as 49 other Texas school districts.

Cowboys, computers, leading research

At Tarleton, computer science takes pride of place alongside the science of range management, thanks to Tarleton’s Computer Information Systems Department, the first to become a three-time winner of the International Data Processing Management Association’s Outstanding Program award; at Tarleton’s Center for Agribusiness Excellence research in data mining and data warehousing has resulted in savings of approximately $300 million in crop insurance and risk management. Also headquartered on the Tarleton campus, the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research is a national research leader in environmental issues related to water quality, tasked with overseeing the water pollution data for the 230,000-acre Upper North Bosque River watershed.

Leading and learning require world-class facilities, and the university’s recent capital improvements include a new $23 million nursing building; a new $30 million science building housing state-of-the-art equipment and a 64-seat planetarium; and a $13.5 million renovation and expansion of the existing science building. An observatory was also constructed at Tarleton’s 12,000-acre Hunewell Ranch to house a fully robotic research grade telescope, opening the way for significant astronomical research.

And while opportunities at Tarleton are sky high, the university’s tuition is far less than astronomical: Tarleton’s tuitions costs are only 74% of the cost of Texas A&M, 68% of Texas Tech costs, and 55% of University of Texas-Dallas costs.