What Sets Us Apart

Our commitment to learning means our students don't get lost in the crowd. Instead, they benefit from outstanding faculty, small classes, and "hands-on" learning opportunities in an environment that develops leadership from a Christian perspective. You can find out more about what LeTourneau looks for in its students here.

LeTourneau's faculty and staff do more than say they are Christians; they live a lifestyle that encourages students to know Jesus Christ. Our faculty members are experts in their fields and seek to develop strong, personal relationships with their students.

As a non-denominational, evangelical Christian university, our foundation is based squarely on biblical principles and practice. We want to help our students not only grow academically and socially, but also spiritually.

Did You Know?

LeTourneau University is consistently ranked in the Top Tier of Master's/Comprehensive Universities among "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News and World Report.

• Dr. Dale Lunsford is the current president of LeTourneau. President Lunsford and his wife Marsha have two daughters, Rachel and Hannah. They also have a five-pound Yorkshire Terrier.

• Our 2008 fall enrollment represents a record undergraduate enrollment!

• Over 3,500 students attend LETU, including over 3,000 undergraduates and nearly 300 graduate students. Around 1,660 of these students go to class at our Longview campus.

• Our enrollment has grown by 67 percent over the last decade; our average entering SAT scores are between 130 to 150 points higher than the national average.

• The 2008 freshman class welcomed four National Merit Finalists, bringing the total number of finalists to more than 32 at LETU.

• We offer undergraduate and graduate degrees at locations in Bedford, Dallas, Houston, and Tyler, Texas, as a complement to our main campus in Longview.

• We're into global – Our students represent all 50 states and more than 20 countries

• Our largest undergraduate majors are engineering, aeronautical science, teacher education, and computer science. Thirty new majors have been added in the last decade.

• We've added two hot career options for Fall 09: air traffic control and civil engineering. That's in addition to the 30 new majors we've welcomed over the last decade.

• LeTourneau is the only university in Texas to offer an air traffic control program.

• In 2007, the placement rate for all LETU graduates was 93 percent, with 94 percent for engineering graduates and 97 percent for aeronautical science graduates.

• LeTourneau University opened the 2,000-seat S. E. Belcher, Jr. Chapel and Performance Center in 2007. This is a state-of-the-art facility for student worship, entertainment, and cultural events as well as a venue for outreach into the community. 

• Our new on-campus dining hall, the Corner Café, opened in March 2009 and is serving up some seriously good food provided by Bon Appétit, whose clients include MIT, eBay, Yahoo!, DreamWorks SKG, and the Art Institute of Chicago. 

• LETU's aviation facility at the East Texas Regional Airport is set to open in 2009.

• We've got stellar alumni. Check out how they're making a difference across the globe in their own cool way: Awesome Alums. Air Force Lt. Col. Todd DeGroot, a 1986 aviation graduate of LeTourneau, was on campus last year speaking to aviation students and guests about his experiences as pilot of Air Force Two. DeGroot's normal passengers include the vice president, secretary of state, secretary of defense, and the first lady.

• Capital projects at our Longview campus over the past eight years have totaled $58 million, with a new facility added to the Longview campus virtually every year.

• In 2006 and 2007, LETU produced more classroom teachers than any other private university in the state of Texas (Source: State Board for Educator Certification/ TEA).  Our students have a 99 percent pass rate on the Texas state-mandated exam for teacher certification.

Our newest residence hall opened in fall 2005 and provides 162 beds for our growing residential population.

• In 2007, our students, faculty, and staff performed over 70,000 hours of community service.

• More than 200 of our students spend their spring break serving on mission trips in Mexico, Honduras, and around the nation.

• Summer academic and athletic camps attracted more than 1,100 children ages 5 through 17 to campus, with new camps such as the Legos™ robotics camp last summer.

LETU’s flight team won the Loening Trophy at the 2009 SAFECON competition hosted by Park College in St. Louis, Mo. The Loening Trophy is awarded to the outstanding all-around collegiate aviation program in the nation. Check out our aeronautical science page to learn more.

• LeTourneau University mechanical engineering students won third place overall in an international 2008 Baja SAE Illinois competition with their number 15 Baja car, “Ingenuity.” The students competed against teams from more than 100 universities around the world.