Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse celebrated the landmark accomplishments achieved during the 2024-2025 academic year while looking forward to future success during the State of TXST address on January 23.
“It is my honor to report to you—faculty, staff and friends—that because of your hard work and dedication, the state of Texas State University is stronger than ever,” Damphousse said. “With TXST poised to enter the Pac-12 Conference, on the path to R1 status and experiencing record enrollment and graduation rates, ours is a story worth telling. It is the story of a thriving, access-oriented public research university, committed to the ideals of opportunity, excellence and service, at a time when the world needs us most.”
The annual gathering for staff and faculty members was held in the LBJ Student Center Ballrooms and livestreamed.
Record enrollment in Fall 2025, along with trends pointing to continued growth for the spring and fall 2026 semesters, underscore TXST’s growing profile, both statewide and nationally. That enrollment growth is the direct result of strong, relevant academic programs. The university has experienced historic academic expansion with the addition of 32 new degree programs that strengthen workforce readiness, research capacity and educational quality. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved Kinesiology to become the 10th new doctoral program at TXST.
TXST has expanded access to higher education through new and expanded initiatives such as online degrees, community college partnerships and growing the Round Rock Campus. Through TXST Local and a growing network of co-enrollment and 2+2 partnerships with community colleges across Texas, an increasing number of students can pursue TXST degrees without leaving their home communities. These partnerships expand opportunities for place-bound students and strengthen the state’s talent pipeline. Fall 2025 saw the opening of the TXST campus in Querétaro, Mexico, welcoming an inaugural cohort of 57 students. Over the past two years, TXST launched nearly 60 online programs in high-demand workforce areas, with 14 more on the way in Fall 2026.
In the classroom, TXST is at the forefront of integrating AI into teaching and learning. Faculty across disciplines, supported by the Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship (CTLS), have developed discipline-specific approaches that strengthen—not replace—good teaching. More than 1,200 students have earned an AI Foundations credential through TXST, while investment in AI research has grown to $48 million.
To improve academic performance and student experience, TXST is using improved data to understand student demand and to build schedules that don’t just offer more classes, but offer the right classes, in the right sequence and at the right time. Concurrently, the university reorganized academic advising with a clear goal: to focus advisors’ time and expertise where it’s needed most, providing more personalized support for students who benefit from it. The results speak for themselves: Through Navigate TXST, nearly 31,000 students connected with advising and support services last year, completing more than 83,000 appointments across 12 service areas. Students who received this targeted outreach persisted at rates more than 14% higher than those who did not.
TXST research expenditures have grown to more than $183 million—tripling over the past decade and doubling in just three years. First-quarter expenditures for 2026 are up more than 25% compared to last year, with newly-awarded research grants also on the rise. According to the National Science Foundation’s HERD survey, TXST now ranks in the 84th percentile nationally, placing the university among the top tier of research institutions.
Other highlights:
- More than 15,000 gifts—including nearly 3,000 first-time donors—contributed nearly $31 million in support last year, with the majority directed toward scholarships. Those gifts increased the TXST Endowment to a record $463.2 million.
- By qualifying for a full share of the Texas University Fund, TXST has secured a planned $300 million investment over the next five years—an investment that will accelerate innovation, expand opportunity and amplify the university’s impact for generations to come.
- In December, more than 3,100 degree candidates contributed to the largest fall commencement in TXST history
- The first-year retention rate for Fall 2024 freshmen exceeded 80%—up 2.6% in three years.
- The four-year graduation rate rose to 40%, up from a four-year cohort average of 36%.
- For the third time in four years, TXST won the Sun Belt Conference Vic Bubas Cup, which is awarded to the best athletics department in the league.
- The Bobcat football team won its third consecutive bowl game, a 41-10 victory over Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl.
- The Bobcat soccer team captured its first Sun Belt Tournament Championship and earned an NCAA Tournament berth.
- TXST will join the PAC-12 Conference in July 2026, which will expand the university’s national brand, recruiting reach and fan engagement.