Sam Houston State University is located in a historic college town of 35,078 between Houston and Dallas. Only 70 miles from downtown Houston, Huntsville is in the scenic and recreationally-diverse hills, lakes and forests region of East Texas. The Huntsville State Park, Sam Houston National Forest, and Lakes Conroe and Livingston are nearby.

Visitors from throughout the state and nation come to Huntsville, home and burial place of General Sam Houston, "Texas' Greatest Hero," to visit the Sam Houston Memorial Museum complex on the SHSU campus. The General Sam Houston Folk Festival is held each spring. Huntsville's "Fair on the Square" offers a day of fun, shopping and food in the downtown area each fall. Huntsville also has antique stores, galleries and shops and the 67-foot statue of General Sam Houston— the World's Tallest Statue of an American Hero.

Sam Houston State University facts and figures:

• Founded in 1879 and named after Texas' greatest hero— General Sam Houston
• Enrollment of approximately 13,500
• Qualifies as Carnegie "doctoral instensive" university
• Has 84 undergraduate degree programs, 47 masters' programs, doctoral programs in Criminal Justice, Educational Leadership, Counselor Education and Clinical Psychology, and other doctorates pending final approval
• 72% of the faculty members hold doctoral or terminal degrees
• Five colleges include Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Education, and Humanities and Social Sciences
• Enrolled 73% of students in The Woodlands University Center campus— partners include Texas A&M, University of Houston, University of Houston- Downtown, Texas Southern and Prairie View
• Capital project, construction, renovation, and improvement program totals more than $100 million
• Has increasing admissions standards/above state-average SATs
• Every office, classroom and residence hall room equipped wiht high speed Internet connection
• Has diverse student body with students from 46 countries
• NCAA Division I athletic program
• Average class size of 31
• Faculty:student ratio of 1:22
• On-campus hotel
• Preprofessional programs ranging from predental to preveterinary medicine
• Nationally ranked Army ROTC program
• Leading intercollegiate rodeo program/club sports including rugby, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, trap and skeet, outdoor adventure and more
• Student-operated cable television station and radio station and student-published newspaper
• Planetarium and observatory
• Scenic 272-acre main campus
• Diverse recreational sports program open to students, faculty and staff with outdoor playing fields and pools, and indoor running track, racquetball, basketball, volleyball, aerobics, and weight rooms
• University is partner in new Raven Nest Golf Course
• Fully-staffed University Health Center
• 35 residence halls, family and sorority housing