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Fast Facts

#1 Regional Texas
Public School

in the U.S. News &
World Report
Best Colleges
rankings.
July 2025

$1 million
stock portfolio
managed by
business students

June 2025

Approximately
200,000 sq. ft. of
new construction

upgraded dining and
academic facilities
over the next two years
May 2025

Study Abroad
with scholarships

10 faculty-led programs
13 destinations
162 students
July 2025

EXPLORE ACADEMICS

Have a dream career or a major in mind? Still undecided? With more than 120 areas of interest at SFA,
you can find the path that’s best for you.

 

VISIT ACADEMICS

Explore your passions, meet our faculty

Watch how Dr. Runnels serves up successful careers in hospitality management.

Life At SFA

STEM

State-of-the-Art STEM Building

The Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building helps SFA continue to produce top-ranking scholars within the STEM fields. The building houses a planetarium, research laboratories, collaborative classrooms and makerspaces — areas that allow students to collaborate and create prototypes.

Housing and Dining

Housing & Dining

Lumberjacks enjoy plenty of housing and dining options on and off campus.

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SFA NCAA Basketball Bracket Busters

Competitive Division I Sports and Spirit teams

SFA is the proud home of championship-winning sports, cheer and dance teams.

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SFA Clubs and Organizations

Clubs & Organizations

Follow your passion and make friends by getting involved! We have hundreds of clubs and organizations ready to welcome you.

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18 Beautiful Bodies of Water Nearby

18 Beautiful Bodies of Water Nearby

Outdoor enthusiasts can paddle along the Neches River or catch fish at one of many area lakes.

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SFA Traditions

The Axe Handle

SFA freshmen receive an axe handle to personalize with their own Lumberjack spirit. Students can be seen (and heard) banging axe handles on the bleachers at SFA football games.

 

Ole Cotton

Ole Cotton is an imposing 75mm cannon that fires a celebratory shot every time the SFA Lumberjack football team scores. The SFA ROTC cadets man Ole Cotton just beyond the south end zone at Homer Bryce Stadium. The powerful blast can be heard – and often felt – all over town.

 

The Homecoming Bonfire

SFA's traditional bonfire and pep rally are the centerpieces of homecoming. Usually held in October, homecoming is a series of traditions that bring Lumberjacks together to celebrate SFA. Other events include homecoming elections, downtown parade, football games and much more.

 

Purple Haze

Press play to hear our rowdy Purple Haze student section in action. At SFA’s home football games, fans in the student section loudly bang their axe handles on a metal “Purple Haze” sign to show support for our beloved Lumberjacks (and to rattle the opposing team). Now that’s a home-field advantage!

  • Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a fruit research field day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 19 featuring kiwifruit, muscadine grapes, blueberries, figs, feijoas and other fruits.

    Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host a fruit research field day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 19 featuring kiwifruit, muscadine grapes, blueberries, figs, feijoas and other fruits.

  • Graduate students, representatives from Hacienda Santa Clara, and SFA faculty members hold an SFA flag in front of a landmark in San Miguel de Allende

    Graduate students from Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Education Studies visited San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for a summer study abroad program focusing on bilingual teaching strategies. Pictured, from left, are Pablo Marvin, director of Hacienda Santa Clara; Elizabeth Pierce, Dr. Sarah Straub, Kacie Clopp, Kayleigh Moran, Sarah Kloesel, Angel Driver, Skylar Smith and Dr. Kevin L. Jones. 

  • Students, parents and SFA members showing the "axe 'em" hand sign crowd a large hall with purple lights in the background

    For the first time in its history, Stephen F. Austin State University has received over 20,000 undergraduate applications for a fall semester, marking a 17% increase over fall 2024 applications and a 67% rise since 2019. SFA also served more than 3,000 students during summer orientation sessions like the one pictured, marking the largest summer orientation attendance in SFA’s history.

, SFA Soccer Field, Nacogdoches, Texas
, Tulsa, Oklahoma
, State University, Arkansas
, Johnson Coliseum
, Johnson Coliseum
, Pineywoods Dining Hall