Texas Christian University is a private university founded in 1873 by Addison and Randolph Clark. After the Civil War, the two brothers were prohibited from teaching at a public school because as Confederate Army officers they had fought against the federal government. The Clarks decided to open a private school, and in September 1873 the AddRan Male and Female Academy welcomed its first class of 13 students. In 1902, the name of the school was changed to Texas Christian University, and in 1911 the university moved to its present location in Fort Worth, Texas.

Today, TCU offers 100 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate degrees in 54 areas, including 12 doctoral fields of study. Total enrollment is approximately 9,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Full-time faculty members number around 500. The endowment of the University at the beginning of the 2007 fiscal year is in excess of $1.2 billion.

Texas Christian University has been ranked as one of the best national doctoral universities in the United States. In the 2008 rankings by U.S.News & World Report, TCU placed 108th and is among the top 50 private doctoral universities in the country. In addition, TCU joins Rice, Texas A&M, Southern Methodist University, Baylor, and the University of Texas-Austin as the only institutions in Texas ranked in the top national doctoral universities category.