Tarleton State University is a university located in Stephenville, Texas. Tarleton State University is the largest non-land-grant university in the United States.

Founded in 1899 as John Tarleton College, the institution became a member of The Texas A&M University System in 1917. Tarleton gained status as a university in 1973 and has experienced considerable growth in the past decade. Tarleton continues to break new ground in many academic arenas, including water quality and other environmental science topics. Students come from more than 220 Texas counties, as well as 45 states and 17 foreign countries. Tarleton offers an MBA program at Fort Hood and a Clinical Laboratory Science Program in Fort Worth.

Located near the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Tarleton is a growing institution, known for its internationally recognized horse production program and innovative teacher education programs. The university has one of the largest and oldest public school improvement partnerships in the United States that benefits more than 50 area school districts.