8,991
More than 13,000 students attend Lamar University, a member of the Texas State University System. Lamar offers more than 63 undergraduate, 47 master’s, and 9 doctoral degree programs. Graduates have had a greater than 70 percent acceptance rate to medical and dental schools in recent years, and nearly 100 percent of nursing graduates pass state licensing exams annually. Various research centers and laboratories provide hands-on opportunities in fields such as engineering, computer science, and speech and hearing. In the past two years, the university has added innovative degree programs in American Sign Language and construction management.
Recent campus improvements include the Cardinal Village residence halls and a 129,500-square-foot recreational sports center that houses an elevated jogging track, a 40-foot climbing wall, and an outdoor putting green. Expansions and renovations to the engineering and music buildings are in the works, and the university hopes to add a new biology building in the near future.
The 270-acre Beaumont campus is 90 miles east of Houston and 25 miles west of the Louisiana border, offering a subtropical climate year-round. Many outdoor adventures are just a short drive away: a day at the beach; canoeing and fishing on area rivers, lakes, and bayous; and hiking in the Big Thicket National Preserve. The campus houses the Dishman Art Museum, which serves as both a teaching facility and an exhibition space. Shopping and entertainment options also are nearby and include theaters, museums, and live music venues in Beaumont’s Crockett Street Entertainment District.