Sul Ross State University

Since its inception, the university has served as the cultural and educational center for the mountainous Big Bend region. Sul Ross is the primary institution of higher education in a 19-county region of west Texas that includes two-thirds of the Texas-Mexico border, and is the only public university between San Antonio and El Paso.

 

Sul Ross also serves the Middle Rio Grande region of Texas through three campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass and Uvalde, which comprise Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. The college offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees through a unique partnership with Southwest Texas Junior College.

 

Because its three sites are charged with providing higher education opportunities across 13 counties located in the southwest border region of Texas, RGC links students and faculty through remote teleconferencing using the Distance Learning Centers on each campus.

 

The university's name honors Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross, the son of a pioneer family, renowned Texas Ranger, Civil War general, Governor of Texas and, later, President of Texas A&M University. Founded as a teacher college, Sul Ross continues to offer teacher education as one of its most popular programs. Other programs in high demand are business, criminal justice, earth sciences and agricultural and natural resource sciences. 

 

The birthplace of intercollegiate rodeo, Sul Ross has won nine National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association men’s and women’s championships and 24 individual titles over the decades of competition. The university’s commitment to diversity has gained national recognition, including a high ranking in the production of future Latino graduates in science and engineering.

 

Since 1995, the university has merited “Publisher’s Pick” status by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education and ranked as one the top 100 institutions in the country for Hispanic students. Sul Ross has one of the highest production rates in the country for the Hispanic students earning their doctorates in geology, science and engineering. 

 

The university is among the lowest in total costs of any Texas public institution of higher education.