Texas State University-San Marcos is a doctoral granting university located in the burgeoning Austin-San Antonio corridor, the largest campus in the Texas State University System, and the 6th largest in the state.

Texas State’s 26,827 students choose from 114 undergraduate and 81 masters and 6 Ph.D. graduate degree programs offered by seven colleges (Applied Arts, Business Administration, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health Professions, Liberal Arts, and Science), the University College, and the Graduate College. Texas State's Department of Geography is top-ranked nationally, and the Texas State School of Music is known as having one of the top music education programs in the nation.

With a diverse campus community including over 25% of the student body from ethnic minorities, Texas State is one of the top 20 producers of Hispanic baccalaureate graduates in the nation.

Located on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, Texas State enjoys a setting that is unique among Texas universities. The beauty of the crystal-clear San Marcos River and the stately cypress and pecan trees on the campus adds to the charm of its picturesque settings. The campus is in San Marcos, a community about halfway between Austin and San Antonio. Its location on the banks of the San Marcos River provides recreational and leisure activities for students throughout the year.

The school has gone from a teachers' college to a multipurpose university. The school's mascot is the Bobcat, with the football team competing in NCAA Division 1-AA. The University is also home to the 'World Famous Strutters' dance/drill team, as well as the internationally renowned Texas State University Bobcat Marching Band.

Overlooking the campus and serving as a landmark since 1903 is Old Main, a red-gabled Victorian building restored to its original grandeur. In 1979, after adding a number of classroom buildings and residence halls, the university purchased the former San Marcos Baptist Academy adjacent to the original campus.

Enrollment in Spring of 2004 was 24,980, compared to an opening enrollment in 1899 of 303. The campus covers approximately 429 acres (1.7 km²), as well as an additional 4200 acres (17 km²) in off-campus ranches and outdoor facilities.

Texas State University-San Marcos was founded in 1899, and opened its doors in 1903 as Southwest Texas State Normal School in order to meet a need for teachers in the southwest part of the state. The school has changed its name five times since then:

• Southwest Texas State Normal College (1918-1923)
• Southwest Texas State Teachers College (1923-1959)
• Southwest Texas State College (1959-1969)
• Southwest Texas State University (1969-2003)
• Texas State University-San Marcos (Since 2003)

Notable alumni of Texas State University include former president Lyndon Johnson, country singer George Strait, director Thomas Carter, actor Powers Boothe, and actress Tracy Scoggins. Texas State has the distinction of being the only university in the state of Texas to have a former U.S. President as an alumnus.