With roughly 3,400 undergraduates, the University of Texas Permian Basin is relatively small, particularly for a public university. But it packs a punch: Business and psychology are the most popular majors, and the university also has strong programs in petroleum engineering, geology and energy business. (No surprise, given its location in oil-rich Odessa.)
UT Permian Basin was founded as an experiment to create an upper-level university only for juniors, seniors and graduate students. Since 1991, however, it’s been a four-year college, and most students now enroll as freshmen. Every spring, the university holds FalconPalooza, a week-long festival celebrating school pride with music, dodgeball and Texas barbeque.
About 51% of students graduate in six years, which is on par with schools that admit students from similar backgrounds. The vast majority come from Texas, and for these students, the school is generally very affordable.
