Sul Ross State University began the fall 2026 semester with enrollment up 25% from a year ago, driven by rapid growth at its International campus in Eagle Pass.
Preliminary Texas State University System data show 2,904 students enrolled across Sul Ross’ Alpine and International campuses, an increase of 573 students from fall 2025 and the university’s highest overall enrollment since 2017.
The largest increase came at the International campus, where enrollment rose 135%, from 569 students last fall to 1,338 this fall.
Undergraduate enrollment at the Eagle Pass campus increased 154%, from 482 to 1,222 students, while graduate enrollment grew 33%, from 87 to 116.
The increase includes more than 600 dual-credit students, an 83-member inaugural freshman class and 84 sophomores. The university began offering lower-level courses at the International campus this fall following legislative authorization.
“These students are doing something no class before them has done,” Sul Ross President Carlos Hernandez said in a news release. “They are not simply enrolling at Sul Ross, they are helping write the next chapter in the history of our International campus.”
Enrollment at the Alpine campus fell 11%, from 1,762 students last fall to 1,566 this fall. University officials said the decline was almost entirely attributable to Middle Rio Grande-area dual-credit students being shifted from the Alpine campus to the International campus.
Excluding dual-credit students, Alpine enrollment declined by 15 students, according to the university.
The Alpine campus also recorded growth among incoming freshmen. Its freshman class increased 6.8%, from 281 students last fall to 300 this semester.
The fall semester also marks the launch of Sul Ross’ first doctoral program. Twelve students make up the inaugural cohort in the university’s Educational Leadership doctoral program. Sul Ross said additional doctoral-level programs are expected during the next year.
“This fall’s enrollment numbers reflect the continued momentum we’re seeing across the university,” Hernandez said. “We’re encouraged by the increasing number of students choosing Sul Ross as they pursue their educational goals.”
Across the Texas State University System, preliminary enrollment increased approximately 5% this fall, according to the university.
