Texas State University set another enrollment record this fall with preliminary data showing more than 44,700 students, straining class schedules.
The growth includes a freshman class of nearly 9,400 and more than 5,000 graduate students, pushing some undergraduates into 8 a.m. or evening classes and leaving fewer open seats across majors. Administrators say they are actively responding to the complaints and adjusting schedules as necessary.
In a press release from Aug. 29, 2025, President Kelly Damphousse said the growth is a great opportunity for Texas State.
“TXST was founded to bring education and opportunity to Texans, and this year we are delivering on that promise like never before. Our growth is intentional,” Damphousse said
To help manage the influx, the university introduced New Bobcat Enrollment (NBE) this fall. The process, piloted in 2023, pre-enrolls incoming freshmen in their first-semester classes before New Student Orientation. The goal is to reduce chaos during orientation and ensure students are placed in required courses.
Advising beyond the first semester, known as full advising, still takes place later and allows students to discuss academic goals, career plans and potential major changes in more depth. Freshmen receive preplanned schedules before New Student Orientation, but they are allowed to make changes after orientation.
Vice President for Student Success Cynthia Hernandez said the university’s growth creates more opportunities for Texans to access higher education but acknowledged it also requires ongoing adjustments.
“About 84% of first-year students take the same 50 classes. By preloading schedules, we can make sure students get what they need without waiting hours for an advisor,” Hernandez said. “Students still have the ability to make tweaks, but this way we can plan ahead and ensure enough sections and faculty.”
Hernandez said as Texas State continues to grow, it’s the university’s job to open enough sections so every student has the chance to take the classes they need.
“I bet everybody would love to have their classes between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but feasibly, we just can’t,” Hernandez said.
While administrators point to NBE as a solution, some students say the program limited their ability to shape their schedules.
“We honestly thought we were going to pick our schedule, and then we went into NSO and our schedule was made for us,” Audrina Vela, a freshman finance major, said. “By the time you can change it, most of the classes are already full.”
The impact of the record breaking enrollment goes beyond scheduling. Freshmen especially said classrooms feel overcrowded, dining hall lines are longer and parking is difficult to find.
“One of my friends had to sit on the floor her first day because there weren’t enough chairs. My sister told me the same thing happened in one of her classes,” Vela said.
Hernandez said the start of the semester is always an adjustment period, and some problems can’t be anticipated. She said administrators address issues as they arise and encouraged students to report concerns directly through the Texas State mobile app.
“You’re always going to see lines at advising, dining or buses in the first two weeks,” Hernandez said. “But things level out as everyone gets into a rhythm. We’re listening, and we encourage students to report issues directly so we can respond.”
