Understanding the Landscape of Texas’ Diverse College Students: History, Challenges, Assets, and Future Directions

Texas has a vast and diverse higher education landscape, with 148 institutions enrolling over 1.5 million students. In this manuscript we provide an overview of the histories, challenges, assets, and evolving futures of Texas’ diverse college students, highlighting key factors that shape their educational journeys. We provide historical context and current enrollment trends among historically underserved student populations, including African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and female students. We also briefly examine the student sub-populations of international students and students with disabilities, who have also been underrepresented in higher education in Texas. We highlight challenges impacting student access, persistence, and degree attainment, specifically: academic preparedness and college readiness; basic needs insecurity; and psychological adjustment and sense of belonging. Additionally, we discuss the unique forms of capital many underrepresented students use to navigate through, persist, and thrive in higher education. The article concludes with a discussion of future trends and enrollment projections in Texas higher education in a rapidly evolving and uncertain educational landscape. This article, along with a subsequent article in this issue (Dean-Scott et al., 2025), provides insight into understanding and serving the diverse student populations enrolled in Texas higher education.