Texas State has 4th Largest Student Enrollment in Texas

Texas State University in San Marcos has a campus that is continuing to increase it's student body enrollment.

In ranking, Texas State has the fourth largest enrollment in the state. The increasing population on campus has attracted attention from students.

A public letter from Texas State’s President Dr. Denise M. Trauth said, “Our preliminary enrollment figure this fall topped 36,700 students and represents a roughly 3.5 percent increase from a year ago.”

Sophomore from Houston, Texas, Madison Graziadi said the increased enrollment, “has not affected me. But I have noticed a few things like increased construction on campus, larger classes, and just generally a larger amount of people on campus”.

Madison Graziadi
Photo by: Savannah Ross

With the growth, the university is needed to support it. Construction and expansion is a common sight in San Marcos. In order to support this growth, there must be financial support.

The letter also said, “The university received its largest grant ever -- $15 million -- from NASA.” This helps the university significantly. Additional to NASA, Texas state has also received over $5 million in grants from U.S. departments of Health and Human Services, Education and the Justices of Peace and Constables Association of Texas.

Another grant was received by the U.S department of Education. The university was recognized as an official Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Texas State's websites said, "These HSI grants also allow schools to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality and institutional stability."

Questions of doubt have come from students who committed to Texas State as freshman because of the size. Graziadi said, “the size of the university definitely influenced my decision to come here.”

Elissa Alvarado
Photo by: Kimberly Wutthaus

 “I had the opportunity to attended UT but I passed on enrollment because I was afraid I would be just another "number" and be lost in the mix.” said Psychology Major, Elisa Alvarado.

The question of students loosing attention is brought forward as an upcoming problem. Graziadi said, “Texas State University should continue to grow as long as the administrators and professors are able to accommodate the growth and are still able to adequately meet student’s needs.”

Another student need that has not been addressed is parking. The construction is consistent but the additional parking is not. Caleb Davis, 21 said “I think the biggest thing has to do with parking. There’s always, you know, never enough parking for anybody, anywhere on campus. Over the years that I’ve been here, with the increase, it’s just gotten that much harder”.

However, communication major Jenah Stephenson feels differently. She said, "It’s made me more proud of my school. It shows we are a really good institution, more people want to come here each year. I think San Marcos will keep it humble instead of being like UT because it is a big city. I like the fact that the school is a small school, and I love watching it expand."

Sarah Rule
Photo by: Madison Moreno

However, the growing student body also gives attendants a chance to socialize and meet more of their peers. "As crazy as it is sometimes, it's fun to see all the different groups this school has to offer. and I always run into friends which is fun too!" said Sarah Rule, a freshman from San Antonio.