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Summary
Austin College is a private institution that was founded in 1849. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,329, its setting is city, and the campus size is 70 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Austin College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 63. Its tuition and fees are $32,825 (2012-13).
Austin College is a small, private school in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles north of Dallas. Students at Austin College study a liberal arts curriculum and can choose from more than 40 academic majors. The university also offers the five-year Austin Teacher program through which students earn a master of arts in teaching degree. Through the Mentor Program, each new Austin College student is paired with a faculty member who acts as an academic adviser and teaches the student’s Communication/Inquiry introductory course. All Austin College students must complete a January Term every year they’re enrolled. For the entire month of January, students take just one course, which they study in depth on or off campus.
On campus, Austin College students can participate in about 60 organizations, pledge with more than a dozen fraternities and sororities, and write for the Observer student newspaper. Student athletes at Austin College can compete at the intramural, club, and varsity levels. The Austin College Kangaroos athletic teams are members of the NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and compete in about 10 sports.
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Few schools the size of Austin College offer a greater emphasis on all things global, highlighted by a nationally recognized study abroad program. An average of 70 percent of graduates in the past 10 years has studied abroad, exploring 99 countries on six continents. In fact, Austin College has been ranked in the top five in the nation each of the past five years, with three #1 spots, by the Institute of International Education for percentage of study abroad participation among liberal arts colleges. Study abroad takes many forms at Austin College, including January Term, internship programs, and service opportunities such as the Global Outreach summer program that has sent students on self-designed international service projects in Cost Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. In addition, more than 40 percent of Austin College students take part in volunteer activities in the local community each year. On campus, an excellent faculty offers courses in more than 40 areas of study, with psychology, history, business, biology, and English among the most popular majors. More and more students each year create interdisciplinary majors combining special interests to create a degree plan. During the college's January Term, students take only one course so have the opportunity to take courses that involve international travel or off-campus excursions, complete internships and career exploration, or delve into research or special interest courses. Between 200 and 300 students take courses each January that involve international travel, moving courses beyond textbooks and discussion to walking the streets where their study comes to life. (Imagine a history course discussion of World War II events taking place in Europe in a battlefield bunker where fighting actually took place.) A high percentage of students use the January Term or summer for internships to further explore careers or specific interests. The Austin College student body is diverse, with more than 35 percent ethnic minorities and a wide variety of religious backgrounds and cultures. The residential campus becomes a community where students study, work, and play. More than 60 student organizations offer something for everyone from music and theatre performance to academic interests. A large number of Austin College students attend graduate school or professional school. Austin College has gained a reputation of excellence in health science preparation that results in acceptance for more than 80 percent of its health science applicants. Law school and seminary applicants also are very successful. Students in nearly all disciplines complete research with faculty and on their own. Business and economics students manage a $1 million investment fund 'real dollars'to better prepare for their careers and the Posey Leadership Institute offers all students the opportunity to explore their own leadership abilities and styles. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1849 |
| Religious affiliation | Presbyterian |
| Academic calendar | 4-1-4 |
| Setting | city |
| 2011 Endowment | $124,895,358 |
Applying
When applying to Austin College, it's important to note the application deadline is May 1, and the early action deadline is January 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due March 1. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 52.5 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 52.5% |
| Application deadline | May 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | March 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Austin College is 12:1, and the school has 71.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Austin College include: Social Sciences; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Psychology; Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 83.5 percent.
Student Life
Austin College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,329, with a gender distribution of 46.7 percent male students and 53.3 percent female students. At this school, 75.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 25.0 percent of students live off campus. Austin College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
| Total enrollment | 1,353 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Austin College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, health service, and health insurance. Austin College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Austin College, 75 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Austin College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 75% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Austin College, 68.1 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $20,365.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $32,825 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $10,583 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
