Education in Texas

Education in Texas is a big and unique system that includes many public schools, universities, and other ways for students to learn. Texas has more than 1,000 public school districts. Most of these districts are run by local boards that are elected by families in the area. These boards can collect taxes and make decisions for their schools. The Texas Education Agency helps watch over these schools and gives extra money when needed, but it mostly steps in only when schools are not doing well.

Students in public schools follow guidelines called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are decided by the State Board of Education. They take tests called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) to show what they have learned.

Texas also has many universities. There are 35 public universities grouped into six big systems, plus lots of private schools. Sixteen of these universities are known for doing very advanced research. The way education works in Texas changed a lot in the middle of the last century. This happened because of money from wars, changes made in 1949 to help schools get better, and money from the government for research during the time when Presidents Kennedy and Johnson were in office.

History

Main article: History of education in Texas

Education in Texas started in the late 1830s. When Texas became independent in 1836, one of the complaints was that the Mexican government had not set up any public schools, even though there were many resources.

In 1949, important changes were made to improve schools across Texas. These changes raised teachers' pay, combined smaller school districts into larger ones, and provided state money to help schools with fewer resources. All children in Texas were guaranteed the chance to go to public school for twelve years, with at least 175 days of teaching each year. These changes did not affect private schools or schools run by the Catholic Church.

During World War II, universities like the University of Texas and Texas A&M University took on new roles. After the war, from the 1950s through the 1960s, Texas worked hard to improve and grow its colleges and universities. This helped them receive federal money for research and development.

Primary and secondary education

Texas has over 1,000 school districts, ranging from very large to very small. Almost all of these districts are separate from city or county governments and are called "independent school districts." These districts can collect taxes and have other powers to support their schools.

The Texas Education Agency watches over the public schools and charter schools but has limited control because the districts are independent. Texas also has many private schools, which operate without oversight from the state agency. Homeschooling in Texas is very flexible, with few rules about how it must be done.

Public colleges and universities

Texas has 35 public universities. Most of these universities are part of six larger groups. The state’s two biggest university groups, The University of Texas System and the Texas A&M System, grew quickly because of money from oil found on land set aside for schools.

The University of Houston System has four universities, with the University of Houston as its main school. The University of North Texas System has three schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, with the University of North Texas as its main school. The University of Texas System includes eight universities and six health schools. The Texas A&M University System is the largest, with its main school, Texas A&M University, having the most students in the state. The Texas State University System and the Texas Tech University System each have several schools, including special programs in areas like engineering and criminal justice.

See also: List of colleges and universities in Texas and List of universities in Texas by enrollment

Texas has a special rule for students who finish in the top 10 percent of their high school class. These students are guaranteed to be accepted at any state-funded university in Texas. This helps make sure students from all backgrounds have chances to go to college.

The state is working to grow its number of top universities by raising the status of some of its seven schools that are growing as research centers. The University of Houston and Texas Tech University are expected to become leading universities first.

University of Houston System

Main article: University of Houston System

The University of Houston System has four separate universities. Each university gives its own degrees. The main school is the University of Houston, which is a research university. The other three schools are also stand-alone universities, not smaller parts of the University of Houston.

University of North Texas System

Main article: University of North Texas System

The University of North Texas System has three schools in the North Texas region, all in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

The main school is the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas. UNT is the largest university in the Metroplex and the third largest in the state. UNT teaches subjects like business, education, engineering, hospitality, music, and science.

The UNT System also includes the University of North Texas at Dallas, the only public university inside Dallas city limits, and the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, the only college in Texas that focuses on osteopathic medicine.

University of Texas System

Main article: University of Texas System

The University of Texas System was created by the Texas Constitution in 1883. It includes eight universities and six health schools, with more schools planned. In 2018, the main school, University of Texas at Austin, had over 51,000 students. It is known for being one of the best universities in the world. Many of its programs, especially in areas like doctorates, are ranked among the best in the country.

Texas A&M University System

Main article: Texas A&M University System

The Texas A&M University System is the largest university system in Texas. Its main school, Texas A&M University in College Station, opened in 1876 and is the oldest public university in the state. It has the most students of any public university in Texas, with over 62,000 students. Unlike the University of Texas System, which focuses on cities, the Texas A&M System mainly serves rural areas of the state.

Prairie View A&M University is part of the Texas A&M System. It is a historically black university founded in 1876 and offers many different degrees.

Texas State University System

Main article: Texas State University System

The Texas State University System was created in 1911 to manage the state’s normal schools, which trained teachers. It is the oldest group of university systems in Texas. The system has seven schools, with Texas State University in San Marcos being the largest. Lamar University and Sam Houston State University are also part of this system, each known for special programs like engineering and criminal justice.

Texas Tech University System

Main article: Texas Tech University System

The Texas Tech University System was created in 1996. It includes four universities: Angelo State University and Texas Tech University, along with two health science centers. Texas Tech University, founded in 1923, is the main school and is located in Lubbock. It started with four schools and now has eleven colleges, plus a law school. The system also includes health science centers in Amarillo, El Paso, Odessa, Abilene, and Dallas.

Texas Woman's University System

On May 26, 2021, Texas Woman's University became its own university system. The main campus is in Denton, with separate campuses in Dallas and Houston.

Independent public universities

• Texas Southern University in Houston is not part of any university system. It is the only historically black university in Texas with a law and pharmacy school.

Texas State Technical College System

The state also has the Texas State Technical College System. This group has two-year colleges that teach technical skills. The main campus is in Waco.

Community colleges

Many community colleges operate across Texas. These colleges are managed by local boards and mainly funded by local property taxes.

Private colleges and universities

The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is home to University of Dallas (Catholic); Texas Wesleyan University (Methodist); Texas Christian University (Disciples of Christ); Dallas Baptist University; Southern Methodist University; and Paul Quinn College (Methodist).

Rice University was founded in 1912 as a non-sectarian institution.

Lubbock Christian University is a Churches of Christ university in Lubbock.

Private universities in the San Antonio area include Texas Lutheran University; Trinity University (Presbyterian); and the Catholic schools St. Mary's University, University of the Incarnate Word, and Our Lady of the Lake University.

Austin area

Institutions of higher education include Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Concordia University Texas, Huston–Tillotson University, St. Edward's University, the Seminary of the Southwest, the Acton School of Business, Austin Graduate School of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Virginia College's Austin Campus, The Art Institute of Austin, and a branch of Park University.

Central Texas outside Austin

Howard Payne University is a Baptist university in Brownwood, Texas.

In Abilene are Hardin–Simmons University (Baptist), McMurry University (Methodist), and Abilene Christian University (Churches of Christ). Belton has The University of Mary Hardin–Baylor (Baptist).

Southwestern University is a private university in Georgetown.

Houston area

The University of St. Thomas (Catholic) was founded in 1947. Houston Christian University (Baptist) was founded in 1960.

Panhandle area

Wayland Baptist University is located in Plainview. It operates campuses in Amarillo, Lubbock, San Antonio, and Wichita Falls.

HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)

Further information: List of historically black colleges and universities

Huston–Tillotson University; Jarvis Christian University; Paul Quinn College; Prairie View A&M University; Southwestern Christian College; St. Philip's College; Texas College; Texas Southern University; and Wiley University.

Presidential libraries

Texas is home to three important buildings that preserve the memories of U.S. presidents. These are called presidential libraries. They include the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum at The University of Texas at Austin, the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University, and the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University. These libraries help people learn about the lives and work of these presidents.

Medical research

Texas is home to many important medical research centers. The state has 12 medical schools for doctors, three for doctors who focus on body structure, four dental schools, and two schools for eye care.

Texas has two very special labs for studying dangerous diseases, one in Galveston and another in San Antonio. The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest place in the world for medical research and care, with 45 different institutions working together. More heart transplants happen here than anywhere else globally. The center in San Antonio is also very important for medical research. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is known worldwide for its work in cancer care, research, and education.

List of hospitals in Texas

Texas Digital Library

The Texas Digital Library is a group of colleges and universities in Texas. This group works together to help students and teachers share research. They offer tools for storing and sharing theses, dissertations, and other important school work.