Stephen F. Austin State University

As a Mid-sized University, Stephen F. Austin State Blends Opportunity with Community

Stephen F. Austin State University is a four-year public university located in the heart of scenic Texas Forest Country. SFA's moderate size of almost 13,000 students allows it to offer all the amenities and academic opportunities of a larger university while providing the personal attention one might find at a small private college.

With a low student-to-faculty ratio of 20 to 1 and average class size of 29, students are able to receive hands-on attention from distinguished faculty members who act as mentors. The SFA community is dedicated to making its students feel they are valued individuals, not numbers. As students walk the azalea-lined paths to class, they are likely to pass friends and professors, underscoring the school's family friendly atmosphere.

The Scenic SFA Campus is Located in the Oldest Town in Texas, Giving It Unique Texan Charm

Tucked among the towering pine trees and lush, flowering landscapes of East Texas, SFA's beautiful campus is one of its primary distinctions. The campus is located in Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, which possesses a rich history and charm that is uniquely representative of the region. With numerous annual events and festivals, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy this welcoming community and feel right at home.

For example, students can try their skills at disc golf at Pecan Park, fish at Lake Nacogdoches, and cool off at Tonkawa Springs, a spring-fed lagoon equipped with a rope swing, barbecue pits and sand volleyball courts. Another popular destination is historic downtown Nacogdoches, filled with unique shopping and dining options. Additionally, the campus is just a few hours drive from Houston and Dallas, giving students easy access to the amenities presented by these major metro areas. As SFA likes to say, "We are close to home, but not too close."

SFA Awards Academic Excellence while Striving to Make Higher Education Affordable for Everyone

Incoming freshmen who meet eligibility requirements automatically receive a $3,000 Academic Excellence Scholarship award, which is renewable for an additional three years for qualifying students.

SFA also recently created the Purple Promise Program, which guarantees the full cost of tuition and regular fees for up to four years to any new, incoming freshman whose family income is $30,000 or less and meet eligibility requirements.

SFA Students Can Take Advantage of New Buildings and State-of-the-Art Facilities and Residence Halls

As the SFA campus continues to grow through recent, state-of-the-art construction projects, the university upholds its commitment to providing exceptional facilities for students. The $30.8 million Early Childhood Research Center opened in July 2009, and a School of Nursing facility opened in January 2010. Additionally, SFA's historic Chemistry Building received $7 million in renovations and upgrades. Since 2006, the campus has received more than $217 million in renovations and improvements.

Incoming freshmen now have even more choices when it comes to on-campus housing. The new four-story freshman residence hall, Lumberjack Landing, features a 5,000-square-foot Student Success Center, where students have access to computers, tutors, and other academic support services. Living on campus offers a way to bond and build lifelong friendships while taking advantage of the conveniences found on campus, such as the food court and movie theatre in the Baker Pattillo Student Center and the climbing wall and lazy river at the Student Recreation Center.

Learning Opportunities Outside the Classroom Provide Students with Valuable, Real-World Experience

Students at SFA have many opportunities to gain knowledge outside the classroom by participating in study abroad programs. Past ventures include studying Irish theatre in London and Dublin, jaguar conservation in Argentina, and international business in China, just to name a few. These opportunities allow students to enrich their educations by gaining firsthand knowledge of other cultures and hands-on experience in their fields of study.

SFA's Unique First-Year Initiative Helps Freshmen Bond with Each Other and Adjust to College Life

Stephen F. Austin State University has a unique first-year program known as SFA:101. This program is a freshman success initiative focused on educating new students on the ins and outs of college life and the long-standing traditions at SFA. The university has found evidence to indicate that proactively integrating first-year students into college life helps raise GPA and retention rates. SFA:101 was designed in response to this information.

The optional one-hour credit course focuses on subjects such as time management and study skills and gives insight to all the useful resources SFA provides. By encouraging its first-year students to participate in this program, SFA demonstrates a commitment to student success and a willingness to help first-year students adjust to the excitements and challenges of the college experience.

A Diverse Selection of Programs of Study Makes SFA a Good Alternative to Large Universities

SFA offers approximately 80 undergraduate degrees and more than 120 areas of study, including pre-professional and teacher certification programs. The five most popular areas of undergraduate study are interdisciplinary studies (teacher education), kinesiology, nursing, psychology, and child development and family living. Other popular majors include general business, hospitality administration, music, art, management, marketing and social work. Additionally, SFA's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture is one of the largest and most respected colleges of forestry and agriculture in the nation.

No matter what field of study a student chooses to pursue, SFA's Academic Assistance and Resource Center offers free tutoring by fellow students to help ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed academically.

• Agriculture
• Agriculture
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Agribusiness
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Agricultural Mechanization
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Agricultural Production
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Animal Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Poultry Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Horticultural Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Architecture
• Interior Architecture
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Biological/life sciences
• Biology/Biological Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Biochemistry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Business/marketing
• Business/Commerce
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Business Administration and Management
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Accounting
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Business/Managerial Economics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Finance
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Hospitality Administration
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• International Business/Trade/Commerce
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Marketing/Marketing Management
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Fashion Merchandising
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Special Products Marketing
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Communication/Journalism
• Communication
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Mass Communication/Media
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Computer and information sciences
• Computer and Information Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Information Technology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• English
• English
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Creative Writing
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Rhetoric and Composition
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Family and consumer sciences
• Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Human Development and Family Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Foreign languages and literature
• Foreign Languages and Literatures
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Health professions and related sciences
• Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Audiology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Rehabilitation Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• History
• History
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services
• Corrections
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Criminal Justice/Police Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Interdisciplinary studies
• Sustainability Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Mathematics and statistics
• Mathematics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Natural resources/environmental science
• Environmental Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Forestry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Forest/Forest Resources Management
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Philosophy and religious studies
• Philosophy
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physical sciences
• Chemistry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Geology/Earth Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Psychology
• Psychology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Public administration and social services
• Public Administration
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Social Work
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Social sciences
• Economics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Geography
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Geographic Information Science and Cartography
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Political Science and Government
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Sociology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Visual and performing arts
• Dance
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Dramatic/Theater Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Art
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Art History, Criticism and Conservation
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied10,975
• Accepted6,883
• Acceptance Rate62%
• Enrolled11,368
• Female Applicants7,089
• Females Accepted4,610
• Female Acceptance Rate65%
• Male Applicants3,886
• Males Accepted2,273
• Male Acceptance Rate58%
• Applying
• Application Fee$35
• Required for All Transcript of high school record
  
• Required for Some
• Average high school GPA for first-year freshman
• Application Deadlines
• Type Application Closing Notification Date Rolling Admissions
• Fall freshmen Yes
• Out-of-state Fall freshmen Yes
• Early decision plan Not Reported
• Other early decision plan Not Reported
• Transfer Yes
• Test Scores Accepted
• Test Average School Accepted 25th Percentile* 75th Percentile*
• SAT Critical Reading 476 420 530
• SAT Math 491 440 540
• SAT Writing 463 410 510
• ACT Composite 20 18 23
• * 25th and 75th percentile is the score that 25/75 percent of students score at or below.

• Tuition
• In-state tuition *$5,756
• Out-of-state tuition *$16,286
• In-district tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition costs are based on a full academic year typically extending from September to June.
• Fees
• Full-time student fees$2,172.00
• Room and board *$8,476.00
• Room only *Not Reported
• * Room and board charges vary according to board plan selected (i.e., 12-meal plan, 19-meal plan, etc.) and student level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
• Other Payment Considerations
• Guaranteed tuition plan offeredNo
• Tuition pre-payment planNo
• Tuition payment plans offeredInstallments
• Student groups that qualify for full or partial waiver of tuitionEmployees or children of employees, Senior Citizens

• Gender
• Total Undergraduate Students11,368
• Male Student Percentage37%
• Female Student Percentage63%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic/Latino10.82%
• Black or African American24.6%
• White or Caucasian57.64%
• American Indian or Alaska Native.7%
• Asian.99%
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.04%
• Two or more races.68%
• Unknown3.75%
• Other Student Statistics
• International Breakout.77% representing 36 other countries
• Out-of-state Students1.5% out-of-state student

• Housing
• College-owned housing available Yes
• Housing Requirements None
• Housing options Coed housing , Female-only housing, Special housing for disabled, Male-only housing
• Percentage of undergraduate students who live in college-owned housing 43%
• Student Activities
• Student-run campus newspaper Yes
• Drama / theater group Yes
• Student-run radio station Yes
• Student-run television station Yes
• Marching band Yes
• Choral groups Yes
• Student Services
• Legal services Yes
• Health clinic Yes
• Personal / psychological counseling Yes
• Women's center No
• Student Organizations
• Greek fraternities Yes
• Greek sororities Yes
• Local fraternities No
• Local sororities No
• Other organizations Not Reported
• Most popular organizations Baptist Student Ministry, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Residence Hall Association, Crosspoint (Christian fellowship), Biology Club
• Campus Security and Safety
• 24-hour emergency telephone / alarm services Yes
• 24-hour patrols by trained officers Yes
• Students patrols Yes
• Late-night transport / escort services Yes
• Electronically-operated dormitory entrances Yes
• Other Not Reported

• Men's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badmington Yes No No
• Baseball Yes Division 1 Yes
• Basketball Yes Division 1 Yes
• Bowling No No No
• Cross-country running No Division 1 Yes
• Equestrian sports No No No
• Football Yes Division B Yes
• Golf Yes Division 1 Yes
• Lacrosse Yes No No
• Racquetball Yes No No
• Rock climbing Yes No No
• Soccer Yes No No
• Softball Yes No No
• Tennis Yes No No
• Tennis Yes No No
• Track No Division 1 Yes
• Ultimate Frisbee Yes No No
• Volleyball Yes No No
• Women's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badmington Yes No No
• Baseball No No No
• Basketball Yes Division 1 Yes
• Bowling No Division 1 Yes
• Cross-country running No Division 1 Yes
• Equestrian sports No Division 1 No
• Football Yes No No
• Golf Yes Division 1 Yes
• Lacrosse Yes No No
• Racquetball Yes No No
• Rock climbing Yes No No
• Soccer Yes Division 1 Yes
• Softball Yes Division 1 Yes
• Tennis Yes Division 1 Yes
• Tennis Yes No No
• Track No Division 1 Yes
• Ultimate Frisbee Yes No No
• Volleyball Yes Division 1 Yes

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty674
• Full-time Percentage68%
• Part-time Percentage32%
• Female Percentage52%
• Male Percentage48%
• Student:Faculty Ratio22:1 or 10,984 students to 503 faculty