The Texas Tech University System is a government-funded university system composed of five universities and two health-related institutions:
- Texas Tech University (Lubbock)
- Angelo State University (San Angelo)
- Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls)
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Lubbock)
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (El Paso)
Each of these component universities operates several campuses of its own.
Headquartered in Lubbock, the Texas Tech University System has approximately 21,000 employees and enrolls more than 64,000 students..
History
The Texas Tech University System was formed in 1996 and formally established by the legislature in 1999. Most component institutions predate the system itself.
The flagship location in Lubbock dates to 1923. Originally called Texas Technological College, it offered programs in agriculture, engineering, home economics, and the liberal arts before expanding into additional subjects after World War II.
The universities in San Angelo and Wichita Falls were also founded in the 1920s, initially as two-year junior colleges. The medical school dates to 1969.
The creation of the Texas Tech System in the 1990s reflected a broader trend in Texas higher education toward centralized governance, allowing for coordinated expansion of academic programs, health services, and research initiatives across multiple institutions.
Academics
Texas Tech University offers over 150 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in a variety of fields, including engineering, business, law, education, agriculture, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, arts, and humanities.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees vary across the Texas Tech System. The figures below represent the average amounts charged to resident undergraduates enrolled in 15 semester credit hours in the fall semester 2022, as reported by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:
- Texas Tech University: $5,731
- Angelo State University: $4,655
- Midwestern State University: $5,069
- Texas Tech Health Sciences Center: $5,186
- Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso: $5,631
- Statewide average (public universities): $5,252
A student’s actual charges may vary based on the student’s classification and level of enrollment, the college the student attends within the university, the student’s specific personal circumstances, and other factors.
Governance and Administration
The Texas Tech University System is governed by a ten-member Board of Regents appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature. Each regent serves a six-year term. The Board of Regents exercises oversight over systemwide policy, capital projects, and financial management, while delegating day-to-day academic and administrative operations to institutional leadership.
Executive leadership of the university system falls to an appointed chancellor. Additionally, each of the five universities has its own president, appointed by the chancellor.
The Texas Tech University System has an operating budget of approximately $3.72 billion (FY 2026) and an endowment exceeding $3.35 billion (FY 2025). System funding is derived from a combination of state appropriations, tuition and fees, research funding, and endowment income.
Athletics
Texas Tech’s athletic teams are known as the Red Raiders with the exception of the women’s basketball team, which is known as the Lady Raiders. Texas Tech competes in NCAA Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) and is a member of the Big 12 Conference.
In addition to varsity sports, the university’s Sport Clubs Federation offers 30 recreational and competitive sport clubs, including polo, rugby union, lacrosse, fencing, and soccer.
Student Demographics
The student body of Texas Tech University is about half White and a quarter Hispanic, with other ethnicities constituting the remaining quarter. This table reflects the total enrollment by ethnicity of the flagship university only (Lubbock), including combined totals for the undergraduate, graduate, law and veterinary schools.
Systemwide student demographics are not readily available.
| Ethnicity | Students | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 139 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 1,381 | 3.4% |
| Black or African American | 2,380 | 5.8% |
| Hispanic | 11,333 | 27.7% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 31 | 0.1% |
| Non-Resident International | 2,960 | 7.2% |
| Two or more races | 1,692 | 4.1% |
| Unknown | 684 | 1.7% |
| White | 20,369 | 49.7% |
| TOTAL | 40,969 | 100.0% |
Endowment
The Texas Tech University System endowment is invested in a single portfolio called the Long-Term Investment Fund, constituting a mix of diversified assets. Earnings from these investments are used to support student scholarships, faculty, research, and other areas.
As of fiscal year 2025, the endowment had a market value of approximately $3.35 billion. The endowment has a target distribution rate of 4.5% annually.
