Study abroad at San Marcos

San Marcos is an energetic, picturesque, and rapidly growing college town situated along the crystal-clear, spring-fed San Marcos River in the breathtaking Texas Hill Country, located directly in the bustling Austin-San Antonio Innovation Corridor in Central Texas, just 30 miles (35 minutes) south of Downtown Austin and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and 45 minutes north of San Antonio. Celebrated for the spring-fed San Marcos River (constantly 72°F / 22°C year-round, world-famous for tubing, paddleboarding, and snorkeling), Sewell Park, the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment (historic glass-bottom boat tours on Spring Lake - one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in North America), the San Marcos Premium Outlets (the largest outlet shopping center in the US), zero state personal income tax (0%), and its strategic location within the Silicon Hills technology mega-region. San Marcos is the flagship campus home of one of the largest public universities in Texas: Texas State University (TXST - founded in 1899, major public doctoral research university enrolling over 38,000 students on a stunning 507-acre hilltop campus crowned by the iconic red-roofed Victorian Gothic landmark 'Old Main'). Texas State University is globally acclaimed for the Ingram School of Engineering (pioneering Electrical, Civil, Industrial, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Engineering), McCoy College of Business (AACSB-accredited), Department of Computer Science, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Meadows Center for Water and the Environment (world leader in freshwater aquatic science). Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from an exceptionally affordable cost of living, generous Texas State International Merit Scholarships ($1,000 to $10,000/year plus eligibility for Texas In-State Tuition Waivers saving up to $14,000/year), Bobcat Shuttle transit, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in San Marcos for international undergraduate students at Texas State University (TXST) range between $23,500 and $25,800 per academic year for Ingram School of Engineering, Computer Science, and McCoy College of Business. Importantly, international students who are awarded a competitive Texas State Academic Merit Scholarship (ranging from $1,000 to $10,000/year) automatically qualify for the State of Texas Non-Resident Tuition Waiver, allowing them to pay Texas In-State Tuition rates (reducing total annual tuition to just $9,200 to $11,200/year, saving over $14,000 annually). Postgraduate Master's degrees range from $15,000 to $22,000 per year. Modern on-campus university student residences (TXST: Laurel Hall, Tower Hall, Bobcat Village, San Jacinto Hall, Blanco Hall - fully furnished student suites with high-speed Wi-Fi, utilities, and dining meal plans) cost between $650 and $1,050 per month (inclusive of meal plans), while off-campus student apartments in San Marcos range from $480 to $820 per month for private rooms in shared student apartment communities. General monthly living expenses range between $680 and $1,100 (among the most affordable college towns in Texas).

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship awards approx. $22,000, or approx. $15,000 with the in-state waiver), International Student and Scholar Services (TXST ISSS) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization across the Austin-San Antonio tech corridor and nationwide).