The University of Texas Permian Basin

The University of Texas Permian Basin International Student Insurance

The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), located in Odessa, Texas, was established in 1969. After delays related to the validity of the university’s property deeds, it opened its doors to students in the fall semester of 1973. It opened as an upper-level university, accepting only juniors, seniors, and graduate students. It became a four-year institution in 1991. The campus expanded significantly in the 2000s, adding a library, lecture center, visual arts studio, residence halls, and more. Today, UTPB enrolls almost 6,000 students and counting each year. The school colors are orange and white, and its athletic nickname is the Falcons.

Academic Offerings

UTPB offers about 35 undergraduate degree and almost 20 graduate degree programs across its five academic colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, and the College of Nursing. It also operates the STEM Academy, an open-enrollment charter school for K-12 students specializing in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. UTPB also has a campus in Odessa’s twin city, Midland.

On Campus

Points of interest at UTPB include the Ellen Noel Art Museum, featuring rotating art exhibits, a sculpture garden, and a variety of cultural programs; the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute and Presidential Archives; a replica of Stonehenge; a walking and jogging trail that winds through campus; the childhood home of U.S. President George W. Bush; and the largest heated outdoor pool in West Texas. 

Student publications include the campus newspaper, “The Mesa Journal”, and the annual literary magazine, “The Sandstorm”.

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