Texas Southern University

What Texas Southern University does

Texas Southern University is a public historically Black university (HBCU) founded in 1947 and headquartered at 3100 Cleburne Street in Houston, Texas. Governed by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, TSU operates 11 schools and colleges offering more than 100 academic programs spanning undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, including the Thurgood Marshall School of Law and the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. The institution serves a diverse student body across undergraduate, graduate, transfer, international, and military-affiliated segments, with in-state tuition at $9,174 per semester and out-of-state tuition at $21,416 per semester, and more than two-thirds of students receiving financial aid.

The university's core products include traditional academic programs, the T-CLAW student success platform, the 200-member Ocean of Soul marching band, the KTSU 90.9 FM radio station, and a research portfolio anchored by the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, the Aviation Training Program at Houston Spaceport (with a 20,000 sq ft hangar, 12 Cirrus SR20 aircraft, and Diamond DA42 multi-engine trainers), and the Institute for Urban Public Health and Housing. Technology infrastructure runs on Microsoft 365, ServiceNow, and Ellucian systems, with a Digital Scholarship Repository and a University Testing Center providing ancillary academic services.

TSU's revenue model is primarily tuition-driven, supplemented by state appropriations, federal grants (HUD $3M for housing equity research, HRSA $2M for the urban public health institute, HHS $2M for the Center for Transformative Health, HUD $1M in 2021), private foundation support (Waverley Street Foundation $5M tied to Laurene Powell Jobs' climate initiative, Houston Endowment for immigration clinic), and municipal investment (City of Houston $5.5M for the aviation facility). Distribution occurs through direct admissions via ApplyTexas, campus-based delivery at the Houston main campus, online degree programs, and dedicated admissions channels for transfer, international, and military-affiliated students. Recent strategic activity has emphasized aviation program expansion, environmental and public health research, and institutional recovery following a 2026 state audit that triggered the "Operation Tiger Reset" 100-day compliance plan.

Name

Texas Southern University

Legal name

Texas Southern University

Website

https://tsu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Texas Southern University is a public HBCU in Houston, Texas, offering 100+ undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across 11 schools, including the Thurgood Marshall School of Law and an aviation training program at Houston Spaceport, serving a diverse student body.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public HBCUs (State-Supported) (EDAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graduate & Professional-Program HBCUs (e.g., law/education/business) (EDAHAMAK), Health Sciences & Medical-Serving HBCUs (Nursing/Allied Health/Public Health) (EDAHAMAI)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Academic degree programs
• Professional education
• Research institutions
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from undergraduate and graduate tuition, with in-state rates of $9,174 per semester and out-of-state rates of $21,416 per semester, plus additional fees for various programs and services.
2. Federal Grants: Research and program funding from federal agencies including HUD ($3 million for housing research), HRSA ($2 million for Institute for Urban Public Health and Housing), and other federal sources.
3. Private Foundation Grants: Philanthropic support from foundations including $5 million from Waverley Street Foundation as part of Laurene Powell Jobs' climate initiative, and support from Houston Endowment for immigration clinic.
4. Municipal Investment: $5.5 million investment from City of Houston for aviation facility at Houston Spaceport.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Texas Southern University is a public historically Black university (HBCU) delivering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 11 schools and colleges, including the Thurgood Marshall School of Law and the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. It supplements classroom education with student success technology (T-CLAW), aviation flight training at Houston Spaceport, research centers such as the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, and community health services including the Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Center.

Product overview

Texas Southern University (TSU) is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 11 colleges and schools. The university provides educational products including law (Thurgood Marshall School of Law), health sciences (College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences), and aviation training (Aviation Training Program with facilities at Houston Spaceport). Student support is delivered through the T-Claw Student Success Platform, Library Learning Center with digital scholarship repository, and University Testing Center. TSU also operates healthcare initiatives including the Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Center and the Institute for Urban Public Health and Housing. The institution's portfolio includes the renowned Ocean of Soul marching band, KTSU radio station, and various online program offerings across disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ocean of Soul: The acclaimed 200-member marching band of Texas Southern University, founded in 1969, known for performances at major national events including WrestleMania, Beyoncé Bowl, Mardi Gras, and featured in Vogue Magazine.
• KTSU Radio (The Choice 90.9)
• T-CLAW
• Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice
• Nora B. Wilson Endowment and Health Clinic

Products and services

• Thurgood Marshall School of Law (J.D. Program) Juris Doctor and legal education program serving students pursuing careers in law; ranked #10 in Texas.
• College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Degree programs in pharmacy and health sciences disciplines serving students pursuing clinical and health-related careers.
• Aviation Training Program at Houston Spaceport Elite flight training program featuring Cirrus SR20 and Diamond DA42 aircraft fleets, pursuing top-10 U.S. aviation program status and supporting multi-engine rating progression toward Airline Transport Pilot certification.
• Online Degree Programs Online degree programs, courses, and certificates offered for remote student access across multiple disciplines.
• T-CLAW Student Success Platform Proprietary student success platform supporting academic achievement, retention, and student support services across TSU's student population.
• University Testing Center Testing services including TSIA2 (Texas Success Initiative Assessment), GED, proctoring services, and TCEQ certification exams for academic placement and professional certifications.
• Library Learning Center University library offering research resources, databases (EBSCO, WorldCat), interlibrary loan services, study spaces, special collections including the Barbara Jordan Archives and Heartman Collection, and digital scholarship services.
• Digital Scholarship Repository Institutional repository hosting faculty research, theses, dissertations, special collections, and open access journals managed by TSU libraries.
• Institute for Urban Public Health and Housing Research institute addressing public health, affordable housing, and community wellness through research, training, community engagement, and partnerships in Houston's Third Ward.
• Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Center (Nora B. Wilson Endowment and Health Clinic) Health center providing education, outreach, screening awareness, research, and community engagement initiatives focused on breast cancer prevention across nine Southeast Texas counties.
• Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice Research center focused on environmental, economic, climate, and racial justice, led by Dr. Robert Bullard with four decades of environmental justice research.
• KTSU Radio Station (The Choice 90.9 FM) University radio station broadcasting at 90.9 FM, operated by TSU students and serving as a media outlet for the TSU community.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Florida A&M University: Public HBCU offering comparable scope — colleges of law, pharmacy, and STEM — and competing for the same federal HBCU grants, research funding, and prospective Black student enrollment nationally.
• Xavier University of Louisiana: Private HBCU with a nationally distinctive health-sciences franchise (pharmacy, public health) that overlaps with TSU's College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences and Institute for Urban Public Health.
• Howard University: Premier private HBCU with similar graduate and professional school offerings (law, pharmacy, health sciences); competes with TSU for top graduate students, faculty recruits, and federal research funding.
• Southern University and A&M College: Public HBCU with a parallel college portfolio including law school, and competing for federal land-grant and HBCU-targeted research dollars in the Gulf South region.
• Prairie View A&M University: The other public HBCU in Texas and the closest direct peer — same state funding environment, similar student demographics, overlapping academic portfolio, and competing for the same Texas talent pool and federal HBCU-targeted funding.
• North Carolina A&T State University: The largest US HBCU by enrollment with a comparable research (R2) and STEM portfolio; competes directly with TSU for federal research funding, top faculty, and out-of-state HBCU students.
• Hampton University: Private HBCU offering comparable undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs; competes for the same out-of-state HBCU applicant pool and federal research funding.
• Alcorn State University: Public HBCU with comparable size, scope, and land-grant-adjacent research positioning; useful peer for benchmarking operating efficiency and grant capture.
• Tuskegee University: Private HBCU with comparable graduate and STEM offerings and similar positioning as a federally connected HBCU pursuing research expansion in niche fields.

Regional players

• University of Houston: Houston's flagship public research university and primary regional competitor for in-state students, faculty, and research grants in the same Houston labor market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TexasSouthern
• Facebookfacebook.com/texassouthernuniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-southern-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/texassouthern

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Texas Southern University