Texas’ heat wave isn’t the only thing breaking records in the metroplex this summer. Monday, Aug. 21 marked the first day of the 133rd academic year at Texas Wesleyan — and with it, records were broken with the largest class in over two decades. 

Preliminary reports show that nearly 2,680 students said yes to TXWES with 740 new undergraduate students enrolled from 16 different states and 27 different countries. This is the third consecutive year of growth with a 60% increase in new undergraduate student enrollment from fall 2020.

“I am so excited to see the campus so vibrant with students and activities,” said Dr. Emily W. Messer, Texas Wesleyan University President. “Our Smaller. Smarter. brand resonates with many of these students and allows our faculty and staff to create unique ways to enrich the students’ experiences. I look forward to seeing them thrive as they continue their journey at Texas Wesleyan.” 

Thanks to community partnerships like Tarrant To and Through (T3), Texas Wesleyan has been able to make connections with prospective students from local high schools and junior colleges that allow students easier access to obtain their bachelor’s degree and become successful after graduation. In fact, 36% of new freshman are part of the T3 program.

Enrollment numbers will become official in early September once the official census has been completed.

“This is a great success for the University,” said Alan Liebrecht, vice president of enrollment, marketing and communications. “Our enrollment growth is a reflection of how excited prospective students get when they see all the great efforts and support by faculty, staff and current students.”

Creating Smaller. Smarter. experiences are helping continue to set Texas Wesleyan apart from other universities, even going beyond the classroom with things like building the Karen Cramer Athletic Stadium, starting Mariachi Oro Azul and a class in mariachi music last year and creating a new beach volleyball team that will begin competing in the spring, just to name a few. 

Texas Wesleyan has also been working on expanding programs that cater to the next generation of students and employers, thanks to several foundation grants and donations supporting our current student success and new student recruitment initiatives.

“The amount of support we receive from our community has been vital to helping our students be successful,” said Brian Builta, interim vice president of advancement. “The funding provided by our donors has helped the University build programs that are attractive to students. It’s helped to make Texas Wesleyan more marketable and will also help our students as they prepare to enter the workforce.”

While the University has grown, Smaller. Smarter. has stayed true. Many classes remain small at an average 16:1 student to faculty ratio. Faculty also work with students individually and offer one-on-one mentorship opportunities to prepare students for their career.