What Sam Houston State University does

Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is a public state university founded in 1879, headquartered in Huntsville, Texas, and a member of The Texas State University System (TSUS). It delivers higher education across nine academic colleges — Arts & Media, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Education, Health Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences, Osteopathic Medicine, Science & Engineering Technology, and the Polytechnic College (SamPoly) — serving undergraduate, graduate, international, and online learners through its main campus, The Woodlands Center, and a Conroe presence. Its teaching stack is anchored on Blackboard Learn for course delivery, the SamWeb (Banner ERP) and My Sam portals for student administration, the Katalyst self-service IT portal for service requests, and KatSafe for emergency alerting.

SHSU runs an NCAA Division I FBS athletics program (Bearkats, Conference USA), affiliated K-12 charter schools, and a portfolio of auxiliary operations including the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, Bearkat Course Golf, the University Hotel, and the SHSU Physicians Clinic. Its revenue model combines recurring semester-based tuition and fees (with Bearkat Promise financial aid), externally sponsored research administered via the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP), auxiliary services revenue, and a multi-tier philanthropic giving program with endowed scholarship ($25,000), professorship ($500,000), and chair ($1,500,000) minimums paying out a 3-4% annual distribution.

The technology layer includes Duo MFA, Microsoft Office 365 / Outlook, Microsoft Azure integration, Qualtrics, TeamDynamix-powered Katalyst, Touchnet payments, BankMobile disbursements, LinkedIn Learning, and TimelyCare telehealth. On the research side, SHSU holds two granted patents (May 2026) covering AI-driven cannabis/hemp classification and automated plant-health monitoring, and operates the Institute for Homeland Security, which publishes research on maritime cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection. Distribution runs through direct admissions (freshman, transfer, graduate, international, SamPoly), SHSU Online, the Charter School Network, GoBearkats.com ticketing, and an online giving storefront.

Name

Sam Houston State University

Legal name

Sam Houston State University

Website

https://shsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sam Houston State University is a public Texas state university (founded 1879, TSUS member) that delivers undergraduate, graduate, online, and osteopathic-medicine programs across nine academic colleges from its Huntsville campus plus The Woodlands and Conroe sites, and earns revenue from tuition, sponsored research, auxiliary services, and philanthropic giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Junior Colleges (6112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Online degree programs
• Academic research services
• Public university education
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 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: Recurring tuition revenue from degree-seeking undergraduate, graduate, and online students; supported by a "Cost of Attendance" page, the Bearkat Promise financial aid program, and Tuition Assistance Program for employees. Billing cadence is semester-based with tuition differences for in-state vs out-of-state, with cost information consolidated on cost-aid pages.
2. Philanthropic Giving and Endowments: Cash gifts, real estate, securities, gifts-in-kind, matching gifts, payroll deductions, pledges, memorial/tribute gifts, and endowments (Scholarship minimum $25,000; Professorship $500,000; Chair $1,500,000; Expendable Scholarship $5,000). A 3-4% annual endowment distribution is paid out to designated purposes.
3. Auxiliary Services Revenue: Revenue from Bearkat OneCard, dining services, residence life housing, parking and transportation, the University Hotel (hotel.shsu.edu), Bearkat Course Golf, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, and the SHSU Physicians Clinic.
4. Research Grants and Sponsored Programs: Externally sponsored research funding administered via the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP), supporting faculty research including patented innovations in agriculture, forensic science, and maritime cybersecurity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sam Houston State University is a public Texas state university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral degree programs across nine academic colleges, complemented by SHSU Online asynchronous degree pathways, the Bearkat Promise financial-aid program, NCAA Division I athletics, and auxiliary operations including the University Hotel, Bearkat Course Golf, SHSU Physicians Clinic, and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. Its IT@Sam service portfolio (Katalyst portal, KatSafe alerts, Blackboard LMS, Duo MFA) supports faculty, staff, and students, while the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs administers externally funded research and patented innovations in forensic and agricultural sciences.

Product overview

Sam Houston State University is a public Texas state university delivering a portfolio of academic, technology, and auxiliary products organized as a campus-plus-modules architecture rather than a single unified SaaS platform. The core academic offering spans the SHSU Online program, the Blackboard LMS, the SamWeb/My Sam student portals, and the Bearkat Promise financial-aid program, supplemented by affiliate operations including the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, Bearkat Course Golf, the SHSU Physicians Clinic, and the University Hotel. The technology layer is anchored by the IT@Sam service portfolio, including the Katalyst self-service portal, the Phish Bowl cybersecurity awareness resource, and the KatSafe emergency alert system. On top of this base, SHSU operates employee- and student-facing services such as the Counseling Center (integrated with TimelyCare) and the SHSU LinkedIn Learning instance. Distinct from these operational offerings, SHSU's research enterprise has produced patented AI products — the AI-powered legal-hemp classification system and the automated plant-health monitoring system — and collaborates with industry partners such as Gale Project Technologies on the GALE Drone Pod. Academic colleges (SamPoly/Polytechnic College, the College of Osteopathic Medicine, and others) constitute additional program modules within the university's portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bearkats: Mascot/brand identity for SHSU athletics and broader campus community; motto: "The measure of a Life is its Service."
• SHSU Alumni Association
• University Advancement
• KatSafe
• Katalyst
• Bearkat Promise
• SHSU Online

Products and services

• SHSU Online Flexible, quality online education platform offering a wide range of SHSU degree programs for remote learners, backed by a 24/7 SHSU Online Support Desk.
• Bearkat Promise Financial-aid promise program supporting SHSU students in maximizing funding opportunities for a college degree.
• Sam Houston Memorial Museum Cultural museum and visitor attraction affiliated with the university, dedicated to Sam Houston, located on campus.
• Bearkat Course Golf On-campus university-affiliated golf course operated as part of SHSU's auxiliary services.
• SHSU Physicians Clinic University-affiliated physicians' clinic providing healthcare services, tied to the College of Osteopathic Medicine and supported by HIPAA-compliant operations.
• University Hotel (SHSU Hotel) University-affiliated hotel operated as part of SHSU's auxiliary services.
• SamPoly / Polytechnic College One of SHSU's academic colleges offering applied/polytechnic programs with a dedicated admissions pathway for prospective students.
• College of Osteopathic Medicine Academic college providing osteopathic medicine (DO) education, supported by HIPAA-covered operations and the affiliated SHSU Physicians Clinic.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Gale Project Technologies Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGale Project Technologies Inc., a Texas-based R&D company founded in 2024, established a collaborative R&D partnership with Sam Houston State University alongside a separate camera-systems partnership with Hanwha Vision. The collaboration supports Gale's open-architecture GALE Drone Pod for emergency response, with shared development of AI-powered autonomous detection capabilities.
• The Texas State University System (TSUS)flagshipOthersSam Houston State University is a Member of The Texas State University System, the governing system that establishes statewide IT Policies (TSUS IT Policy - 2022) adopted as official SHSU policy pursuant to TSUS Rules and Regulations Chapter III §19.2.
• SHSU IT Division Liaisons and Business Analyst TeamcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEach SHSU division is paired with designated IT division liaison(s) and an IT business analyst team responsible for processing new IT service requests, prioritizing projects, and aligning them with the university's strategic plan and state regulatory requirements.
• Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (ERS/GBP)coreOthersThe Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) administers the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP), providing medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short- and long-term disability, and FSA coverage to SHSU benefits-eligible employees.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (HealthSelect)coreOthersBlue Cross Blue Shield of Texas administers HealthSelect and Consumer Directed HealthSelect plans for SHSU benefits-eligible employees, including 100%-covered mental-health virtual visits through Doctor on Demand and MDLIVE.
• LinkedIn LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationSHSU employees and students have access to the LinkedIn Learning video library for professional development and wellness-related content, with login via SHSU credentials and optional LinkedIn profile connection.
• TimelyCareminorOthersTimelyCare is referenced by the SHSU Counseling Center as an after-hours resource for students in need of crisis intervention mental-health support.
• SHSU Institute for Homeland SecurityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHSU's Institute for Homeland Security publishes research (including maritime cybersecurity papers co-authored by Scott Lynn and other SHSU researchers) that informs critical-infrastructure protection policy across multiple sectors.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Texas State University: Fellow member of the Texas State University System and the most direct public-university peer to SHSU, competing head-to-head in Texas regional enrollment, online degree programs, and the same Carnegie classification tier.
• Stephen F. Austin State University: Another TSUS system peer institution of comparable size and mission profile; competes directly for Texas regional enrollment, transfer students, and similar academic college structures.
• University of North Texas: Large Texas public university with a comparable online and Denton-region enrollment model, competing for the same in-state undergraduate and graduate populations and running its own NCAA Division I athletics brand.
• Texas A&M University–Commerce: Regional Texas public university with similar enrollment size, online program emphasis, and East Texas / DFW-area recruitment overlap, serving comparable non-traditional and transfer student segments.
• University of Texas at San Antonio: Texas public research university with comparable NCAA Division I athletics footprint (Conference USA overlap), urban-serving mission, and growing online degree portfolio competing for the same Texas student pool.
• Lamar University: Texas public university of similar size and Carnegie classification, competing for Southeast Texas and online enrollments with overlapping program mix and tuition positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Texas A&M University: Texas's flagship public university and dominant incumbent in the state; competes broadly for high-achieving in-state students, faculty talent, and major donor capital, setting the ceiling on what regional peers like SHSU can capture.
• University of Texas at Austin: Elite Texas public university whose brand, online programs (e.g., UT Austin extension/online), and Big 12 athletics footprint create category-level competition for top students and donor attention across Texas.

Emerging players

• Western Governors University: National nonprofit online-first university competing directly with SHSU Online for non-traditional adult learners seeking flexible, asynchronous, competency-based degrees at lower price points.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit online university competing with SHSU Online for adult and online undergraduate enrollment nationwide; representative of the scaled, online-first competition SHSU faces as it expands SHSU Online.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sam-houston-state-university
• Xx.com/samhoustonstate
• Facebookfacebook.com/25099076618

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sam Houston State University