Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX · founded 1923 · 40,000 students · public research university · Big 12 Conference

Known for: A major public research university in West Texas, known for its strong engineering, agricultural sciences, and law programs, as well as its distinctive Spanish Renaissance architecture and intense school spirit in a remote college-town setting.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #216
QS World: #801
Times Higher Education: #601

Top programmes

Engineering
Agricultural Sciences
Law
Business
Architecture
Human Sciences

Notable alumni

John Denver — Folk music icon (attended Texas Tech)
Scott Pelley — Journalist and former anchor of 'CBS Evening News'
Bob Knight — Hall of Fame basketball coach
E. G. Marshall — Actor, known for 'The Defenders' and '12 Angry Men'
Danny Amendola — Former NFL wide receiver
Wes Welker — Former NFL wide receiver
Michael Crabtree — Former NFL wide receiver
Samantha Power — U.S. Ambassador to the UN (2013-2017), attended but transferred

Traditions

The Masked Rider leading the football team onto the field
Carol of Lights (holiday light display)
Raider Gate (pregame fan walk)
Ring Ceremony
Homecoming bonfire and parade

If Texas Tech University were…

As a food: Texas brisket from a Lubbock pit — Straightforward, no-frills, takes time and patience to get right, deeply satisfying if you appreciate the craft. Tech doesn't pretend to be fancy—it's traditional, hearty, and proudly Texan through and through, best enjo
As an athlete: Patrick Mahomes — Tech's most famous alum, a Lubbock kid who became the NFL's biggest star—proof that you can develop world-class talent in West Texas isolation if you've got the program, the grit, and the guns-up spirit.
As a person alive today: Sheryl Crow — Tech alum who made it big with accessible, heartland appeal rather than avant-garde credibility. Successful, beloved, rooted in traditional American values but with enough edge to stay interesting—that's the Tech brand.
As a historical figure: Buddy Holly — Lubbock's most legendary son, who took rock and roll mainstream from the middle of nowhere. Tech carries that same spirit—West Texas kids proving you don't need coastal zip codes to make your mark on the world.
As a movie or TV show: Yellowstone — Traditional, sprawling, unapologetically Western with strong family/community bonds and a sense that the land and values matter more than outside validation. Tech is the university version of the Dutton ranch—loyal, toug
As a US president: George W. Bush — Texas through and through, traditional values, unpretentious despite the pedigree, built a loyal base in red America. Tech students have that same friendly, conservative, aw-shucks-but-don't-underestimate-us energy that
As a city: Lubbock — It literally is Lubbock—isolated on the flat West Texas plains, conservative, tight-knit, where Tech is the cultural and economic heart and everyone knows the university and the town are inseparable.
As an element: Iron — Strong, traditional, abundant, the backbone of construction and industry. Not flashy but absolutely essential—Tech is the iron that builds West Texas engineers, teachers, doctors, and ag professionals who keep the region
As a car: 2015 Ford F-250 Super Duty — Texas Tech is a workhorse public research engine planted in the Llano Estacado—tough, spirited, and built for the long haul across flat, remote terrain. Red Raider pride runs deep, and this truck doesn't apologize for be

Campus life

A classic college-town experience in Lubbock with a strong sense of community and intense school spirit. Greek life is prominent, and social life revolves heavily around Red Raider football, basketball, and campus-wide traditions.