Texas Tech University is a Carnegie Very High Research Activity University (Tier1) with approximately 38,000 students. The university is built in Spanish Renaissance architecture and boasts one of the top university public art collections in the nation, with works from some of the world’s leading contemporary artists. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, a city of 250,000 in the South Plains region of Texas. With a grid-like structure and a broad street and highway system, nearly every point-to-point trip in the city takes 15 minutes or less. The cost of living is low compared with most metropolitan areas in the U.S., and Texas has no state income tax. Excellent public and private schools are available. The climate is excellent: winters are short and relatively mild, and summers are sunny with low humidity.