Getting To Know: Texas Tech University
I recently had the privilege to attend an admissions presentation for Texas Tech, a school I knew only from the sports pages.This year Texas Tech celebrates its Centennial. So, I invite you to read on!
I also want to thank my friend, Carolyn Caplan for sharing photos from her visit to Texas Tech. I’m also sending thanks to Rex Oliver and Julian Olivas, from admissions and communications at the university, for sharing photos as well. And please check out my Texas Tech Pinterest page.
Texas Tech is a big school.
Texas Tech has 10 schools that admit undergrads, a law school and a veterinary school It has nearly 33,000 undergraduates and over 8,300 graduate and professional students on an 1,800 acre campus. . In 2000 Texas Tech had fewer than 24,000 undergrads and fewer than 3400 graduate and professional students.
When I read that UT Austin and Texas A&M are maxing out enrollment and becoming more selective, I have to believe that more prospective students will look towards Lubbock.
Texas Tech is not an ultra-selective school.
Seventy-three percent of applicants for the Class of 2028 were accepted. About 30 percent of accepted students enroll, high for a state school. Approximately two-thirds of entering freshmen will rank in the upper fifth of their high school class.
Texas Tech is test optional for the current admissions cycle. Residents and non-residents who rank in the top ten percent of their class are automatically admitted, regardless of their test scores. Those in the next quarter will need an 1180 SAT or a 24 ACT for automatic admission to the university. Prospective students who like Texas Tech but have weaker grades and scores should apply. Their applications will still be considered holistically. Texas Tech admits students on a rolling basis. Applicants receive a decision less than a month after all required materials gave been submitted.
One added bonus: non-residents who qualify for even the smallest merit scholarship also receive in-state tuition! Just under eight percent of undergraduates come from states outside Texas. About a quarter of the freshmen in the Class of 2027 received merit awards.
I really liked this campus.
Among the large schools that I have visited, Texas Tech’s main campus is about the same size as Indiana University-Bloomington, but slightly larger than Ohio State. However, from taking virtual tours, I saw that Texas Tech feels larger because it is flatter and feels less crowded and appears to have more room to growGiven the size of this school it’s quite navigable, though I’d probably ride a bus to get around on hotter days. The student-oriented facilities are as nice as you will find at any other flagship. I like the Spanish-themed facades as well. The basketball and football venues are as nice as you will find in major college sports. This campus really lights up for the winter holiday season in the Carol of Lights.
Lubbock is a college town.
However, Lubbock’s population of nearly 270,000 is actually over twice that of College Station, home to Texas A & M. Further, downtown Lubbock is two miles from campus versus the walk into town feeling that you get at several Big Ten schools. Lubbock has dining and shopping options that appeal to college students, but many look newer than the venues I see in other college towns. The Buddy Holly Hall is especially impressive. The city has plans for a major public park in the center of town and is improving he highway network. However, Lubbock has a reputation for harsh winds and hotter summer temperatures than you will feel in other Texas cities.
What are some of the sports stories around Texas Tech?
Texas Tech is the alma mater of NFL superstar quarterback and State Farm pitchman Patrick Mahomes. If you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan, you might be interested to know that Mahomes once threw for over 700 yards, a major college football record, for Texas Tech in a 66-59 Loss to Oklahoma in his senior year. Mahomes’ coach, Kliff Kingsbury, also quarterbacked the Red Raiders. Unlike Mahomes, he beat Oklahoma in a game. He’s now coaching Jayden Daniels to post big numbers for the Washington Commanders.
There are two main attractions at football games, no matter the team’s record. One is the Masked Rider on horseback (shown below_. The other is the Goin’ Band from Raiderland, which brought their talents to New York’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2023.
But if someone told me that Texas Tech was more of a basketball school than a football school, I wouldn’t argue. Led by WNBA Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, the women’s basketball program won a national championship in 1993. The Lady Raiders have made eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament since 2000. The men have made ten, including an 85-77 loss to Virginia in the 2028 national championship game.
And, if anyone wants to call Texas Tech a Livestock School, they can. The university won national championship in Livestock Judging in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Conclusions
It’s tough for me to imagine a very large school that plays as fair as Texas Tech when it comes to access to academic opportunities including high-demand majors and the honors college. A motivated student can get anything they want that they might have been denied at UT-Austin or Texas A&M and pay less to get it.
The Report Card for Texas Tech University
- Four-Year/Six-Year Graduation Rates: C/C
- Freshman Retention: B+
- Costs:A
- Comforts: A
- Community: B+
- Curriculum: A
- Connections: A (Texas)/B (California/C (elsewhere)
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