Is Texas Tech a Good School? An In-Depth Look

Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas, is the sixth largest public university in Texas. With over 40,000 students, Texas Tech is well-known for its strong academics, thriving student life, successful sports teams, and state-of-the-art facilities. But is Texas Tech really a good school? In this comprehensive 2,600+ word guide, we‘ll explore Texas Tech‘s academic offerings, campus culture, affordability, reputation, and more to help you decide.

Academics: Variety and Quality

Texas Tech offers over 150 undergraduate and over 100 graduate degree programs across 13 colleges and schools. So whether you want to major in agriculture, architecture, business, education, engineering, arts and sciences, or another field, you‘ll find diverse academic options tailored to your interests.

Beyond this variety, Texas Tech prioritizes teaching quality and student success:

• Student-Faculty Ratio: With a 20:1 student-faculty ratio, Texas Tech surpasses the national average public university ratio of 24:1. Smaller classes foster better student-teacher interaction.
• Class Sizes: The average class size is 33 students. Over 50% of classes have under 30 students, facilitating engaged learning.
• Faculty Credentials: Over 90% of Texas Tech‘s 2,000+ faculty members hold the highest advanced degree in their field. Known for approachability, these expert teachers also mentor students.
• Graduation Rates: 4-year graduation rates hover around the national average for public research universities, while 6-year graduation rates meet the national average.

Texas Tech has also strategically invested over $200 million in new faculty hires, academic facilities, and research centers over the past decade. An additional $90 million research building is under construction, cementing the university‘s R1 research status.

Undergraduates also have extensive research opportunities – a rarity for public universities. Over 3,000 students collaborate with faculty annually on projects spanning cancer therapies, wind energy, food security, human-robotic interaction, and more. These experiences give students an edge in the job market and grad school applications.

In the latest rankings, U.S. News & World Report named Texas Tech a top-200 national university. Further, they ranked several Texas Tech programs among the country‘s best – audiology (#5), geosciences (#42), fine arts (#59), engineering (#82), business (#85), and agriculture (#25).

Vibrant and Diverse Campus Culture

Over 300 student organizations, abundant Greek life, Division I athletics, concerts, multicultural events, and service opportunities give students many ways to connect outside academics at Texas Tech. With students hailing from over 100 countries and all 50 states, it‘s an open and welcoming culture as well.

For sports fans, Texas Tech competes in the Big 12 Conference with standout football, basketball, baseball, and other teams. School spirit runs high, especially for big rivalry matchups. The beautiful 99-acre campus also entices students outdoors with green spaces, fountains, art installations, and scenic views of Lubbock.

Texas Tech makes major investments to expand student services and amenities. Recent additions include an innovative library and learning center with tech-enhanced study rooms, presentation rehearsal spaces, and a meditation room. A new $90 million recreational sports complex also caters to a diversity of health and wellness activities. Finally, the Amarillo native American Art museum located in the Student Union‘s recent multimillion dollar renovation highlights works from the permanent collection of indigenous art from the Americas.

No matter your background or interests, Texas Tech has a vibrant community where you can find your niche. As a Hispanic-serving institution that has doubled Hispanic student enrollment over the past two decades, Texas Tech also emphasizes diversity and inclusion. Recent initiatives include establishing cultural centers for Hispanic, Black, and LGBTQIA+ students as well as partnering with community colleges to expand transfer pathways. There is always more progress to make, but Texas Tech strives to be welcoming.

Affordability and Value

Another reason Texas Tech rates well is its affordable cost combined with positive career outcomes for graduates. In-state tuition and fees currently stand at approximately $11,510 per year. While not the cheapest public university, this remains 18% below the national average public 4-year school tuition.

Over the past decade however, declines in state appropriations shifted more costs to students and families through rising tuition and fees. State funding per Texas Tech student dropped 23% since 2000 when adjusted for inflation, even as enrollment grew over 50%. So maintaining affordability remains an important challenge.

The university aims to counter tuition increases with expanded financial aid. Currently over 60% of Texas Tech students receive grants, work study, or federal loans. The average recipient gets over $9,500 in aid. New scholarship programs target high-achieving, underrepresented, and low-income students. There are also debt forgiveness programs for graduates going into public service fields like teaching and social work.

This investment pays dividends when students enter the workforce. PayScale data shows Texas Tech graduates earn a strong mid-career salary of $67,600. While over 75% of graduates remain in Texas, Red Raiders work across all 50 states, taking jobs at Amazon, JP Morgan, Lockheed Martin, Tesla, and more. Alumni status provides a built-in network that aids the job and internship search.

With strong academics and career prep combined with below-average student debt, Texas Tech is lauded for return on investment:

• Money magazine‘s 2022 rankings named it the 36th best public college value nationally – the highest among Texas public universities.
• The average Texas Tech graduate has $3,000 less student debt than the Texas average.
• Over 65% of Texas Tech students complete their degree in 6 years or less, outpacing the national average time-to-degree for 4-year public university students. Faster completion reduces costs.

So graduates receive excellent long-term value, even accounting for rising tuition prices.

Reputation and Rankings

As a large regional university, Texas Tech earns recognition both for specific program offerings and its comprehensive educational experience:

• The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education 2022 US College Rankings placed Texas Tech #80 among 800+ public and private universities based on outcomes like graduate salaries and debt burdens from surveys of 170,000+ former students across the country. Texas Tech outperformed all other regional public universities in Texas.
• The Princeton Review‘s 2022 Best Colleges guide commended Texas Tech as one of the nation‘s best institutions for undergraduate education based on academic rigor, experiential learning opportunities, and student feedback.

Texas Tech also claims two Nobel laureates among current faculty in economics and chemistry/physics. Numerous pioneers and trailblazers count themselves among 275,000+ alumni worldwide, including:

• Diane Nash – Founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and central organizer of the 1960s civil rights movement
• Rick Husband – Commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107
• Donna Shirley – NASA Mars Pathfinder mission manager

As the university continues expanding research expenditures over $100 million annually and strategic enrollment to over 45,000 students, its national reputation rises in turn.

With top-ranked departments, expert faculty, Division I sports, a welcoming culture, state-of-the-art facilities, reasonable cost, and successful outcomes, Texas Tech delivers an outstanding education. Students benefit from academic rigor at a large, vibrant university – and all set against the natural West Texas landscape.

For one of the best combinations of offerings at an affordable price, Texas Tech stands out as a valuable choice. Ongoing work to improve diversity, maintain accessibility, and align programs with workforce needs will only raise the value proposition for future classes of Red Raiders.