LeTourneau University

Private · Selective · TX

Photo: Michael Barera (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationTX · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,468

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate49.2%

6-yr grad rate58.6%

Drop-out rate19.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$37k

Out-of-state tuition$37k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity28.6%

Gender diversity37.1%

International4.8%

IdentityInterdenominational

Overview

LeTourneau University is a private interdenominational Christian university in Longview, Texas, founded by inventor and earthmoving-equipment pioneer R.G. LeTourneau. Its identity blends evangelical faith with a hands-on, engineering-and-technology bent inherited directly from its founder's own workshop culture -- LeTourneau endowed the school with machinery, patents, and a conviction that education should be as practical as it is devout. That combination still defines the place: a small, mission-driven campus organized as much around labs, shop floors, and a working flight line as around traditional classrooms.

Academics

Engineering is the school's signature strength, taught with an applied, project-based approach across mechanical, electrical, and civil disciplines rather than a purely theoretical one. LeTourneau is also known nationally for one of the country's few faith-based aviation programs, running its own flight operations so students train, log hours, and often fly as undergraduates rather than waiting for graduate certification elsewhere. Beyond its residential core, LeTourneau runs a substantial degree-completion and online division for working adults, extending the university's programs well past its traditional-age undergraduate population.

Campus & student life

The Longview campus is small and close-knit, with chapel and faith integration built into daily life alongside engineering labs and an active flight line on the edge of campus. Students describe a workshop, tinkering culture that extends outside the classroom into maker spaces and hands-on projects, a direct legacy of the school's founder. East Texas's piney, rural setting keeps the campus quiet and insular compared with a university near a major city, which suits students drawn to a tight community over urban access.

Getting in

Applicants should expect an emphasis on fit with the school's Christian mission alongside academic preparation, particularly demonstrated interest in engineering or aviation for those specific programs. Essays and interviews often probe both intellectual seriousness and spiritual commitment, and aviation applicants in particular should expect additional scrutiny given the program's flight-hour and safety demands.

After graduation

Engineering graduates move into aerospace, energy, and manufacturing employers, including sizable Texas industry, while aviation graduates often go on to regional and commercial airline careers or, given the program's faith orientation, missionary and humanitarian aviation work. The relatively small alumni base is close-knit and concentrated in these two fields, giving LeTourneau real name recognition among engineering and aviation employers who know the program specifically.

Worth knowing

The aviation program's own flight operations are a genuine rarity nationally and a major draw for students set on a flying career from day one of college rather than after. The engineering-and-faith combination is distinctive but narrows appeal for students not seeking either half of it specifically.

letu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate38%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 990–1330 · ACT 21–30

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying