WT Posts Enrollment Gains for Spring 2026

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Undergraduate enrollment at West Texas A&M University is at its highest level in six years and freshman enrollment is at its highest in a decade, according to newly released figures.

Overall, spring enrollment is up 1% over the previous year, continuing an upswing since 2021. A total of 960 freshmen are enrolled this spring, the highest since 2016; more than 90% of freshmen who started in the fall semester returned for the spring.

The 12th class day, which fell on Feb. 6, is when public universities in Texas traditionally report enrollment in the fall and spring semesters.

"This steady growth is excellent news, showing that a continuing number of students recognize that WT will enable them to graduate and succeed," said Dr. Rick Haasl, vice provost of enrollment management. "Spring numbers are generally lower than those in the fall, which bodes well as we continue the process of recruiting our freshman class of 2026."

Overall enrollment grew 1.36% among all undergraduates, slightly less than 1% among freshmen and nearly 6% among seniors.

The spring growth follows an upsurge of more than 2% growth in the fall semester, which saw a 3.29% increase in undergraduates.

Semester credit hours, which are used to determine the level of state funding WT and other colleges and universities will receive, were virtually unchanged from spring 2025 to spring 2026.

As in the fall, the most significant year-over-year increase among WT's six Colleges was seen in WT's Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences. Overall, the Rogers college grew 9.88%, and the Department of Education itself grew 16.79%.

In the fall, enrollment in the College grew more than 6% and more than 7.5% in the education department.

That noteworthy growth comes after the successful introduction of the Educators Excellence Initiative, which launched in June for full-time teachers, administrators, librarians, nurses, counselors or paraprofessionals working at any school within the Region 16 Education Service Center, as well as employees of the ESC. That was expanded in September to Regions 17 and 18, as well as 1A and 2A school across the state, then in November to eligible employees of community colleges throughout Texas.

On Feb. 2, WT unveiled the Agency Excellence Initiative, which offers half-off tuition and mandatory fees to all full-time employees of The Texas A&M University System's eight agencies.

In fall 2024, WT inaugurated a no-charge-to-student plan for textbooks and other educational resources in all core classes.

Among WT's six Colleges, overall growth also was seen in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, up almost 1%; the College of Engineering, up 4.33%; and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, up 3.22%.

Several individual departments also saw growth: the Department of Agricultural Sciences, up 2.42%; the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, up 7.25%; the Department of History, up 15.69%; the Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing, up 12.99%.

Transfers from senior colleges grew 25.49%, and transfers from junior colleges grew more than 2.82%.

Almost 47% of WT undergraduates and 39% of graduate students are first-generation college students. Looking at the full student body, including graduate students, about 50% are racially and ethnically diverse, 73% are Pell Grant-eligible, and nearly 39% are online-only.

For spring 2026, WT has 6,479 undergraduate students and 1,905 graduate students.

WT remains committed to being regionally responsive to the needs of the people of the Texas Panhandle, as laid out in the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign, which is now winding down, has raised more than $175 million.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

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