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Sam Houston State University
A Great Name in Texas Education
For more than 130 years, Sam Houston State University has been preparing students for meaningful lives of achievement. Its motto, “The Measure of a Life is its Service,” echoes across SHSU’s six colleges and beyond its Texas campus through student research, creative endeavors, service learning, volunteering and more.
Named for Sam Houston, Texas’ greatest hero, SHSU continually strives to honor its historical roots through academic excellence that includes exceptional teaching from faculty members who care as much about their students’ success as they do about furthering the knowledge of their fields.
While embracing its legacy, SHSU also strives to meet the needs of contemporary students, both traditional and online. With over 20 bachelor’s and graduate degrees available entirely online, and more in development each semester, SHSU Online is quickly becoming one of the best online universities in Texas.
Academic Offerings
SHSU offers over 80 bachelor's degree programs, more than 50 master’s degree programs, and six doctoral programs, including nationally-recognized programs in Business, Fine Arts, Education, Mathematics and Criminal Justice. SHSU is classified as a “Doctoral Research University” by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and was recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report for being among the best in the country for online graduate programs. In addition, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education classified SHSU as a "Community Engaged" university. This honor was awarded in 2010 to only sixty-one public institutions nation wide and acknowledges the university's significant commitment to serving the community.
Who We Are
- Founded in 1879 and named after Texas' greatest hero, General Sam Houston
- Beautiful 316-acre main university campus in Huntsville, Texas with over $250 million in new and renovated facilities
- 5% increase over Fall 2011 enrollment, with 18,478 students enrolled for the 2012 Fall semester
- Student SAT/ACT test scores above national and state averages
- Typical tuition and fees for full-time undergraduate student is approximately $2,697
- A diverse student body representing 60 countries
- 69% of students receive some form of financial aid
- NCAA Division I athletic program
- Student-published newspaper
- Leading intercollegiate rodeo program
Academics & Faculty
- Over 80 undergraduate degree programs
- More than 50 master’s programs
- 6 doctoral programs
- Over 20 online bachelor’s and graduate degrees
- Faculty to student ratio of 19 to 1 with an average class size of 31 students
- 72% of the faculty members hold doctoral or terminal degrees
- Faculty members who make themselves available not only as student mentors, but also as experts in their fields to assist the working media with stories of interest and importance to the public
Campus Life
- Two agricultural complexes including 1,600 acre teaching & research farm and rodeo arena
- More than 200 student organizations
- Recreational sports program with outdoor and indoor facilities
- Planetarium and observatory
- University Raven Nest Golf Course
- 32 residence halls and apartments
- Student-operated cable television station and radio station
- State-of-the-art 100,000 sq. ft. Performing Arts Center
Awards & Rankings
- Total annual 2010 budget of $250 million (25% comes from The State of Texas)
- Classified as a “Doctoral Research University” by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, placing SHSU in top 7% of all U.S. colleges & universities
- Named by U.S. News and World Report as among the Best Online Graduate Computer Information Technology Programs, Best Online Graduate Education Programs, Best Online Bachelor's Programs (Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice), and Best Online Graduate Business Programs.
- The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education classified SHSU as a "Community Engaged" university. This honor was awarded in 2010 to only sixty-one public institutions nation wide and acknowledges the university's significant commitment to serving the community
- Recognized by Princeton Review as one of the “Best in the West” universities
- One of Princeton Review’s and PC Magazine's “Most Wired” colleges in the nation
- Wall Street Journal recognized SHSU funded research with the “Innovative Technology” award
- Criminal Justice College ranked in U.S. Top 5, Journal of Criminal Justice
- Department of Dance ranked in Top 25 U.S. programs, Dance Spectrum Magazine
- Number One ranked Athletic Dance team, National Dance Association
- Top 4 ranked Theatre program, Kennedy Center Competition
- Musical Theater ranked in Top 10, Broadway Theater Project
- Undergraduate Math program ranked in U.S. Top 8, Mathematical Association of America
- USA Today's Top 50 in the U.S. for “commitment to civic engagement and global awareness”
- Ranked 10th among America's “Safest Colleges,” on the Daily Beast news website
- Named by U.S. News & World Report as a university “Growing Fast, Staying Friendly”
Accreditations
- Only accredited bachelor's degree program in the U.S. for Banking and Financial Institutions
- Masters in Forensic Science, 1 of 8 fully accredited in U.S.
- Master's program in History, 14th largest after Yale
- PhD in Clinical Psychology with Forensic emphasis, 1 of 7 accredited in U.S.
- Only school in Texas offering a degree in PGA Golf Management, 1 of 20 in U.S.
