By and large, students at Texas State are a happy lot. Online independent surveys indicate the majority of students find their education satisfying and challenging, the community enjoyable and entertaining, and the campus uniquely beautiful. With praise such as this, it's no wonder that student enrollment continues to rise to record heights each year.

Though once considered primarily a "party school," Texas State University has upped its entrance standards and focused on creating an academically competitive environment. Students claim that their classes are tough, but in a good way. However, they freely admit that the choice of professor in any given class is what makes the difference.

A Great Place to Live and Learn

Though there are dissenters at both ends of the spectrum, fully 80 percent agree that the community of San Marcos makes for a great place to both live and study. There are plenty of restaurants featuring a variety of cuisines and price-points, loads of movie theaters and music venues, and, of course, there's always a party going on somewhere. Greek life, too, remains a strong social pull for many. But those who opt out of fraternity and sorority life find plenty of ways to make friends, not only in class, but also through the many clubs, organizations, and intramural sports opportunities.

Finally, the campus gets a resounding thumbs-up from the student body. Truly uniquely beautiful, the campus of Texas State University at San Marcos may be the only one in the country that has a river running through it. Students are found at its banks any time of day, resting and sunning, or even splashing around within it, year-round. There are some complaints about parking, and the rolling hills can make running uphill to class when late a bit of a workout. Nonetheless, TSU gets high marks for providing a virtually unequalled pastoral academic environment deep in the heart of Texas.