Lamar University
Lamar University is a public university located in Beaumont, Texas. Founded in 1923 as South Park Junior College, it’s the first college in Texas that was granted approval by the Texas Department of Education on its first year of operation. Fully accredited by 1925 and expanding its involvement in educating the region by 1932, it was renamed Lamar College after the leading Texan political leader Mirabeau Lamar. By 1942, it had totally cut its ties with South Park High School and had moved to its new campus in Beaumont where it stands to this day.
The end of WW-II saw the influx of students to Lamar. Thus the decision to make it a state college offering four-year programs with special focus on engineering and science. By 1969 a branch campus was established in Orange, Texas to keep up with the increasing student population and by 1995, Lamar became a member of the Texas State University System and Lamar University was born.
Today, Lamar offers 63 undergraduate majors, 47 Master’s and nine doctoral degree programs. Its over 13,000 students are enrolled in the university’s five distinguished academic colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business, College of Education & Human Development, College of Engineering, and College of Fine Arts & Communication. Despite the large number of enrollees, Lamar insists on keeping its average class sizes small to insure that teachers are able to provide students the time they need to resolve issues pertaining to their studies.
Cost of tuition and living expenses for academic year 2009-2010 for fulltime, out-of-state, undergraduate students is US$23,692 and for in-state students, US$16,044. For fulltime, out-of-state graduate students, cost of tuition and living expenses is US$21,635 and for in-state students, US$15,649.
For more information about admissions, financial aid or online learning opportunities such as distance education degree programs and online classes, please contact Lamar University.
