SHSU is a member of the Texas State University System and has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students across over 80 undergraduate, 59 master's, and 10 doctoral degree programs.

"[4] The Sam Houston State University campus was originally home to Austin College, the Presbyterian institution that relocated to Sherman, Texas, in 1876.

[5] Created by legislation signed by Governor Oran M. Roberts on San Jacinto Day, April 21, 1879, Sam Houston Normal Institute's dedicated goal was to train teachers for the public schools of Texas.

[citation needed] When the university first opened, students received a certification to teach in the state's elementary and secondary schools.

This joke was expanded in 2006 into an entire feature film, Accepted, which takes place on the campus of the fictional South Harmon Institute of Technology.

[citation needed] The campus stood in for the fictional Austin University in the motion picture The Life of David Gale.

Huntsville has long been associated with criminal justice, being the co-headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the home of several prisons, including the Texas State Penitentiary, nicknamed the "Walls Unit" which houses the state's execution chamber, located about two blocks north of the campus.

The college faculty were recently recognized as the 4th most productive nationally in their field in terms of research, and their areas of expertise range from serial murder, hate crime, and terrorism to policing, law, corrections, and security.

[citation needed] The College of Criminal Justice includes the headquarters of the Texas Forensic Science Commission.

[citation needed] The university has been commended as of late for offering courses that encourage the study of the lore, the lure, and the history of the Lone Star State.

[citation needed] Sam Houston State's colors are bright orange and white[32] and their nickname is the Bearkats.

Sam Houston sports teams participate in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of Conference USA.

The Sam Houston Bearkats won the 2020 NCAA Division I (FCS) Football Championship over South Dakota State by a score of 23–21 and finished with a perfect 10–0 season record.

[34] SHSU's primary rival is Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) and tensions between the two schools can run high before major sporting events that pit one against the other.

Some available to students include powerlifting, ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, rugby, martial arts, trap and skeet, inline hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and baseball.

In 2013, the Sam Houston quidditch team won the IQA World Cup VI Division II Championship.

[citation needed] The SHSU School of Mass Communication operates KSHU, a student-run radio (90.5 FM) and television (cable channel 7) station, broadcasting news, sports, and entertainment programming for the campus and community.