News - 2026

East Texas Baptist University is celebrating record-breaking enrollment for Spring 2026, marking the highest Spring enrollment in the University’s history.

With a total enrollment of 1,709 students, ETBU experienced a 6% increase over Spring 2025, surpassing the previous Spring record of 1,657 students set in Spring 2024. This milestone represents the first time the University has exceeded 1,700 students during a Spring semester and highlights continued growth across multiple student populations, including the integration of students from B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary.

The ETBU Cross Country and Track & Field teams departed Marshall early on January 1 for Belize as part of ETBU’s Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME), where they partnered with International Sports Federation (ISF) and THREE18 Ministries for outreach and service over the next week. This is the 25th trip for the ETBU Athletic Department TAME initiative and the second for the Tiger Cross Country and Track & Field program; the program traveled to Greece in 2019.

The J.E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation recently awarded East Texas Baptist University a challenge grant of $850,000 toward the University's Restoring Feagin Hall initiative, launched last fall. To receive the challenge grant funds from the Mabee Foundation, the University must raise a total of $1,280,000 for the project by January 2027.

East Texas Baptist University welcomed students back to campus January 12 for the start of the Spring 2026 semester. At the start of the day, ETBU President Dr. J. Blair Blackburn addressed students, faculty, and staff at the first chapel service in Baker Chapel.

Over the past decade, East Texas Baptist University has experienced remarkable progress in student success, driven by a unified campus commitment to academic excellence, integration of faith and learning, and student support.