Texas Southern University's Student Population: How Many?

Texas Southern University (TSU) is one of the largest historically black colleges in the US. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,619 as of Fall 2023, with a total student population of over 8,400. The university has a diverse student body, with students from across the world, including California, Louisiana, Georgia, Nigeria, The Bahamas, and Saudi Arabia. TSU offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations, with a variety of courses and extracurricular activities to choose from.

Texas Southern University's undergraduate enrollment

Texas Southern University (TSU) is a public, historically black university in Houston, Texas. It was founded in 1927 and has a student enrollment of over 8,400, including more than 8,600 undergraduates. The university's student body comprises a diverse range of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.

TSU offers a wide range of academic programs, with over 100 undergraduate and graduate courses of study across ten colleges and schools. The university is organised into several colleges and schools, including the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the College of Education, the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, and the Jesse H. Jones School of Business, among others.

The university's undergraduate enrollment has fluctuated over the years, with the most recent data indicating a total of 6,619 undergraduate students enrolled as of the fall 2023 semester. This number represents a decrease from the previously reported enrollment of 8,600+ undergraduates. However, TSU has set short-term goals that include increasing student enrollment to 10,000 by 2025.

TSU's undergraduate programs offer a variety of courses across different disciplines. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, for example, has approximately 800 students and offers a comprehensive pharmacy program. The Jesse H. Jones School of Business accommodates 1,600 students and is the first business school at a historically black college or university (HBCU) to receive accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The College of Education has an enrollment of approximately 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students and is highly ranked for its secondary education programs.

The university's founding and history

Texas Southern University (TSU) is a public, historically black university in Houston, Texas. It was founded in 1927 as Houston College for Negroes, and in 1934, its name was changed to Houston College for Negroes. In 1947, the state legislature established the university as Texas State University for Negroes, replacing the Houston College for Negroes. The university was renamed Texas Southern University in 1951.

TSU has a rich cultural heritage and a long history of serving the African-American community in Houston and beyond. The university is committed to providing quality higher education with an emphasis on equity and inclusion. This commitment is reflected in its motto, "Excellence with a Purpose," which guides the university's mission to prepare students for leadership roles and foster academic excellence.

The establishment of TSU is closely tied to the civil rights movement and the struggle for racial equality in the United States. In 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt, an African American man, applied to the University of Texas School of Law but was denied admission because of his race. Sweatt filed a lawsuit, known as Sweatt v. Painter (1950), which led to the creation of a separate law school for African Americans at TSU. This law school, established in 1947, was initially located in Austin, Texas, but was later moved to the TSU campus in Houston. In 1976, it was named the Thurgood Marshall School of Law after the renowned lawyer and Supreme Court Justice who successfully argued Sweatt's case before the Supreme Court.

Today, TSU offers a wide range of academic programs and is known for its dynamic student life, with various student organizations, clubs, and athletic teams competing in NCAA Division I sports. The university has a diverse student body and is an important institution in Houston, serving as a cultural and community center for the Third Ward area. With its focus on high-quality teaching, research, and public service, TSU continues to play a vital role in shaping the future workforce and promoting equality in higher education.

Texas Southern University's sports teams

Texas Southern University (TSU) is a public, historically black university in Houston, Texas. It was founded in 1927 and has a student body of over 8,400 undergraduate and graduate students from across the world. The university's sports teams are known as the Tigers and they compete in NCAA Division I and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

Men's varsity sports at TSU include baseball, basketball, football, golf, and track and field. The men's basketball team has enjoyed particular success, leading the SWAC in tournament titles (11) and making 11 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament appearances. The football team has also won three SWAC titles (1956, 1958, 1968) and one national HBCU title (1958).

Women's varsity sports at TSU include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, dance (TSU Tiger Sensations), cheer, track and field, and volleyball. The Lady Tigers volleyball team has won multiple SWAC championships, including in 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1994. The Lady Tigers softball team has also enjoyed success, winning three SWAC conference championships in 2014, 2015, and 2017, as well as nine consecutive western division championships.

The university's marching band, the Ocean of Soul, has also won numerous awards and performed at Super Bowls, the Stellar Awards, NBA and Houston Texans games, and parades. The band has over 200 members and its alumni include Grammy Award-winning jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum.

Notable Texas Southern University alumni

Texas Southern University has produced many notable alumni who have gone on to achieve success and recognition in various fields. Here are some of the notable alumni of Texas Southern University:

Barbara Jordan

Barbara Charline Jordan was an American lawyer, educator, and politician. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. She was also one of the first two African Americans elected to the U.S. House from the former Confederacy since 1901, alongside Andrew Young of Georgia. Jordan was a Democrat and is known for her contributions to civil rights and her powerful speeches.

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper and actress. She gained popularity when her freestyle rap videos went viral on social media platforms such as Instagram. She signed with 1501 Certified Entertainment in 2018 and achieved mainstream success with singles like "Hot Girl Summer" and "Cash Shit". Megan Thee Stallion has received multiple awards and recognitions, including a Grammy Award for her music.

Yolanda Adams

Yolanda Yvette Adams is an American gospel singer, actress, and radio personality. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albums worldwide. Adams has won numerous awards, including four Grammy Awards, four Dove Awards, five BET Awards, six NAACP Image Awards, and many more. She was also the first Gospel artist to receive an American Music Award.

Mickey Leland

George Thomas "Mickey" Leland III was an American politician and anti-poverty activist. He served as a congressman from the Texas 18th District and chaired the Congressional Black Caucus. Leland was a Democrat and dedicated his career to advocating for those in need.

James Hines

James Ray Hines was an American track and field athlete and NFL player. He made history by becoming the first man to officially break the 10-second barrier in the 100-meter dash. Hines won gold medals in both the 100-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relay at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.

Madarious Gibbs

Madarious Jaquil Gibbs is an American basketball player who completed his college career at Texas Southern University. He has played for various teams in the NBA G League and has also represented the Texas Legends and the Memphis Hustle.

These individuals represent only a fraction of the notable alumni of Texas Southern University, which has a strong history of producing successful graduates across various fields, including law, politics, entertainment, sports, and activism.

The university's location and campus

Texas Southern University is located in Houston, Texas, in the Third Ward, two miles southeast of downtown Houston and five miles east of Uptown Houston. The university is an important institution in the Third Ward, serving as its cultural and community centre. It is also a notable economic resource for Greater Houston, contributing over $500 million to the region's gross sales and supporting over 3,000 jobs.

The university's campus is a sprawling 150-acre, urban, gated campus with over 45 buildings. The campus is recognised as a Tree Campus USA school for its commitment to preserving and increasing its number of trees. The first structure built on the campus was the Thornton B. Fairchild Building, constructed between 1947 and 1948, which houses administration and classroom spaces. Temporary buildings served as faculty housing during this time. The second building was the Mack H. Hannah Hall, designed by Lamar Q. Cato and opened in 1950. Many more buildings were opened in the late 1950s, including classroom, dormitory, and student union facilities.

The campus is also home to an 11,000-square-foot exhibition space, displaying a variety of historical and contemporary art. The exhibition space is the permanent home of the Web of Life, a twenty-six-foot mural by world-renowned artist and founding chairman of the TSU art department, John T. Biggers. Multiple TSU student-created murals are also present on campus, in Hannah Hall.

In 2014, the university unveiled a $31 million, 108,000-square-foot, four-story structure named after the school's fifth president. This building houses 35 labs, a Tier 1 University Transportation Center, the National Science Foundation Center for Research on Complex Networks, and the academic programs of several departments, including Engineering, Transportation Studies, and Computer Science.

TSU's campus also includes the Jesse H. Jones School of Business, the College of Education, the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

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