What Is Austin College? Location, Academics, and Student Outcomes

Updated

Austin College is a private, four-year liberal arts and science college in Sherman, Texas, in the north Texas technology corridor near Dallas. It enrolls 1,282 undergraduates and offers more than 55 majors, with a 12:1 faculty-student ratio and an average class size of 16. The college reports that 94% of its students are employed or in graduate school within one year of graduation and that 98% of graduates finish in four years. Those figures make it a reasonable starting point if you want a small liberal arts college with pre-professional pathways and measurable outcomes — but you should verify current numbers with the college before relying on them for a decision.

Where Austin College is located

The campus is in Sherman, Texas, north of the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The college describes its setting as the heart of the "booming north Texas technology corridor," which matters if you want internship or job access to nearby employers without living in a major city. If proximity to Dallas matters to you, treat "near Dallas" as a regional description rather than a short commute — check drive times yourself before planning visits or internships.

Academics: majors and pre-professional programs

Austin College positions itself around "degrees that lead the way," highlighting several programs on its homepage:

Program area What the college highlights
Finance $1 Million Student-Managed Investment Fund; Marketplace Live business simulation; Intalytics Challenge
Pre-Med & Health Sciences 90% acceptance rate to medical and health professional school; internships with doctors, dentists, and local hospitals
Creative Writing Student-run Suspension Literary Magazine; peer mentoring in the Scarbrough Writing Center
Neuroscience & Psychology Lab research (e.g., learning and memory in rodents); social science research practicum; STEM Teaching and Research Leadership Program
Engineering Hands-on projects; tech industry internships; core engineering disciplines and emerging technologies

Across programs, the college states that 100% of students complete research or an internship. That claim is worth asking about directly — specifically, whether it applies to every major and how it is structured (course-embedded vs. optional).

Key numbers at a glance

  • Undergraduates: 1,282
  • Majors and minors: 55+
  • Faculty-student ratio: 12:1
  • Average class size: 16
  • Four-year completion: 98% of graduates
  • Post-graduation placement: 94% employed or in graduate school within one year

These are the college's own reported figures. For a decision, compare them against the specific departments you care about and ask for the most recent data.

What outcomes should you expect?

The two headline outcomes — 98% finishing in four years and 94% employed or in grad school within a year — are the strongest signals on the homepage for families weighing cost and time-to-degree. The pre-med figure (90% acceptance to medical and health professional school) is also notable, though acceptance rates depend heavily on the pool of applicants, so ask how the college defines and calculates it.

What to do next

If the profile fits, the useful next steps are:

  1. Check the degree list — confirm your intended major or pre-professional track is offered and see its requirements.
  2. Ask about the outcome claims — request the methodology and most recent year for the 94%, 98%, and 90% figures.
  3. Plan a visit — see the Sherman campus and the north Texas area in person before committing.
  4. Contact admissions — the site's "Discover Austin College" section is the entry point for visits and applications.

The homepage also includes a "Subscribe" link through the advancement office for updates; it does not indicate cost or access terms, so treat it as a mailing-list signup rather than an application step.