Every school year brings new challenges, expectations and aspirations for students. Many high schoolers have their eyes on the horizon, already planning where they will study after graduation. If you’re a Carroll parent or future graduate who needs help with their college search, here are a few campuses that are most populated by Dragons, according to Carroll ISD’s Niche profile.
There’s a reason why Longhorns dominate the top of the list for Carroll graduates. Established in 1883 in the heart of Austin, the University of Texas has built a reputation as one of the best public colleges in the country, consistently ranking among the Top 10 campuses in Niche and U.S. World And Report. The 431-acre campus has 150 buildings dedicated to more than a hundred areas of study, with its accounting, business and engineering programs being among the most popular. The LBJ Presidential Library has more than 45 million artifacts stored inside, and the Perry-Castañeda Library holds nearly 8 million volumes and is the fifth-largest in the country. And Longhorn games are literally made explosive thanks to Smokey, a replica Civil War artillery cannon that fires off every time the Longhorns score — which is, suffice to say, a lot.
Texas A&M University in College Station
If Austin isn’t your scene, Aggieland is always welcoming. Founded in 1876, Texas A&M University is one of the oldest universities in the Lone Star State. With more than 70,000 students enrolled, Texas A&M University has the largest student body in Texas and the second-largest student body in the nation. As a Senior Military College, Texas A&M is one of six universities with a full-time Corps of Cadets. It is the only university in Texas to be designated as a land, sea and space grant institution with more than 150 courses of study, and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum preserves more than 4 million artifacts and photographs. But its crowning achievement lies in Kyle Field, its 100-year-old football stadium that can seat more than 100,000 fans, making this gem the largest stadium in Texas and the fourth largest in the nation.
University of Oklahoma in Norman
Students like to say that the University of Oklahoma is full of Sooner Magic, and it isn’t hard to see why. Established in 1890, the crimson and cream-colored campus resembles the residential patterns of Harvard, Yale and Oxford, and has been named among the Top 10 most beautiful historical campuses by College Values Online. With 170 academic programs offered across 18 colleges, the University of Oklahoma is one of 34 public institutions to achieve a 90% retention rate and has earned the Carnegie Foundation’s highest classification as a Research I university. Eight of its programs rank among the top 10 nationally, including meteorology, petroleum engineering, energy management, musical theater, ballet, international business, entrepreneurship and journalism. Its athletics program is even more notable, with its 19 men’s and women’s varsity teams winning 39 national championships and ranked the third-best college sports program by “Sports Illustrated.” But that’s Sooner Magic for you.
University of Arkansas in Fayetteville
Home to the Razorbacks, the University of Arkansas was founded in 1871 as the first public university of the Natural State. The oldest building on campus is Old Main on Campus Drive, which was built in 1875 and is now home to the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The Futrall Memorial Hall is another historic relic on campus, built in 1940 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. And just up Maple Street is the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, which can host up to 76,000 people during football season. Ranked among the top 3% of colleges in America, the University of Arkansas offers more than 200 academic programs ranging from architecture to agricultural law, with its supply chain management program ranked first in the nation. And with the Senior Walk stretching throughout the campus, your achievements will always be etched in stone along with the other 200,000-plus alumni who graduated from the university.