The university surpassed the 42,000-student threshold for enrollment, thanks largely to a record number of students attending college for the first time.
Texas Tech University is celebrating historic milestones this fall with its largest first-year class in school history and record-setting graduation rates. These achievements showcase the growing momentum of a university that continues to attract top students while ensuring they graduate at unprecedented levels, underscoring Texas Tech’s rise as one of the nation’s premier public research institutions.
Texas Tech announced on Thursday (Sept. 11) a 12th-class-day enrollment of 42,272 students, an increase of more than 1,200 from a year ago. A nearly 3% increase from last fall, it’s also the fourth consecutive year Texas Tech has seen a fall enrollment increase.
“As our enrollment grows, so do the opportunities and benefits to students who become Red Raiders,” said Lawrence Schovanec, president of Texas Tech. “Our record first-year class, along with rising graduation rates, reflects the growing recognition of a Texas Tech education and the commitment of our faculty and staff to the success of our students. We are proud of the progress being made and encouraged by the opportunities ahead.”
A driving force behind the rise is the record number of students enrolling in college for the first time. To start the fall semester, Texas Tech welcomed more than 7,600 first-time-in-college students, an 11.7% increase from 2024. This represents the largest class of first-time students in school history, breaking the previous record set in 2023.
This surge pushes Texas Tech’s total number of undergraduates to 33,996 with another 8,276 graduate students.
In addition to record enrollment, preliminary graduation rates also show improvement. For the academic year just completed, the university’s four-year graduation rate rose to nearly 54% and the six-year rate increased to almost 70%. Texas Tech also graduated the first class from its School of Veterinary Medicine in the spring.