Tarleton State unveils plan for 80-acre campus expansion in southwest Fort Worth
Tarleton State University has announced a plan for its Fort Worth campus, which will guide substantial and ambitious development goals over the next two decades.
The 89-page plan includes goals like adding new academic programs, improving student life, increased research opportunities and better community engagement. The overall goal is to better position the campus to meet the workforce and educational needs across Dallas-Fort Worth.
“Our updated Fort Worth Master Plan represents a bold and strategic vision for our future,” said Tarleton State President James Hurley. “This inspired blueprint will drive our growth and strengthen our commitment to advancing discovery, empowering innovation and fostering service in the community.”
Included in the plan for what will be an 80-acre campus along Chisholm Trail Parkway is a student center with dining and collaboration spaces, on-campus student housing, an alumni center that will serve as the “gateway” of the campus, recreation facilities and multipurpose fields, more green space and pedestrian connectivity, and improved infrastructure for future expansion.
As of the fall 2025 semester, Tarleton State Fort Worth enrolled just over 2,600 students across 60 academic programs. The university hopes to increase enrollment at the campus to over 10,000 students by the end of master plan. Leaders want to transform Tarleton State Fort Worth from a sub campus to a location offering the full college experience, from on campus living and dining, a walkable and scenic campus and top-of-the-line academic opportunities.
“The updated Fort Worth Master Plan reflects Tarleton State’s deep and growing commitment to this community and the students we serve,” said Rachael Capua, vice president of external operations and dean. “As Fort Worth continues to grow, our campus is evolving alongside it, creating expanded opportunities for students, strengthening workforce partnerships and building a vibrant university environment that serves learners, employers and the region for generations to come.”
Tarleton State first established its presence in Fort Worth in 1978 with a medical laboratory science program. It relocated and expanded that program to the Richard C. Schaffer Building in the 1990s. By 2015, the sub campus was home to more than 1,700 students.
In 2014, Walton Global donated 80 acres along Chisholm Trail Parkway in southwest Fort Worth, which got the ball rolling on an eventual permanent campus. A campus administration building was opened in 2019 and an education building opened in 2024.
Tarleton State is also offering classes in its medical lab sciences, histotechnology and biotechnology programs at Texas A&M-Fort Worth, which will open its doors this fall. Tarleton State is one of the founding members of the Texas A&M University System and one of its most prominent branches. Tarleton State’s main campus, in Stephenville, enrolls more than 18,000 students, and a total of over 21,00 across all of its properties: Waco, Bryan, Fort Worth and online.
Tarleton State’s Fort Worth expansion plans come as several other Texas universities have also set their sights on improving their presence in the city. Texas A&M’s Fort Worth campus will open this fall, and the University of Texas at Arlington will open a west Fort Worth campus in 2028. Tarrant County College has also welcomed its largest-ever classes over the last two years.
“Tarleton State University’s expansion into Fort Worth directly addresses our city’s need to continue the growth of highly skilled, localized talent pipeline that is driving our business growth by aligning program offerings with the demands of our business and industry sectors,” said Jay Chapa, Fort Worth’s city manager.
Tarleton State will break ground on its master plan this year, with first buildings set to be open by 2028, and the plan to be fully finished in the next 20 years.
