- Executive Cabinet
- Our Mission and History
- Contact Us
- About the Permian Basin
- Quick Facts About UT Permian Basin
- President's Welcome
- Strategic Plan
- Accreditations
- Compact with Texans
- Meet the Senior VP of Student Affairs
- Emeritus Faculty
- Things to do in the Permian Basin
- Meet the Provost
- Campus Transformation
About the Permian Basin
Where the old west meets the new century
There’s no place quite like the Permian Basin—a wild, untouched beauty dotted with pockets of modern development. Rugged meets West Texas chic.
We love our endless blue skies, but we know that West Texas is so much more than a picture-perfect sunset. The Permian Basin is home to kind, hard-working, optimistic people who have never met a stranger.
If you’re looking to create your own future, this is where you belong.
About the Basin
A "basin" is a dip in the earth's surface. It is caused by erosion aboveground and earthquakes underground.
It stretches from eastern New Mexico and covers most of West Texas. It goes from Lubbock to the Rio Grande Valley. The Permian Basin is actually a group of smaller basins. But in all, the Permian Basin covers 75,000 square miles—making it one of the larger basins in North America.
But that’s geology. It's a unique stretch of American land with its own beauty. You feel like you can actually see the earth meet the sky in the distance.
The Permian Basin has something for everyone.
Sitting Atop the Future of Energy
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Permian Basin—which had once been the source of vast oil supplies—seemed to be fading in importance.
But new technologies revealed just the opposite: There was more petroleum trapped in the ground beneath the Permian Basin than anyone could’ve guessed. Thanks to advancements in energy exploration, the Permian Basin was quickly named the largest oil reserve on the planet.
With this discovery, our neck of the woods has seen an explosion in economic activity. Because, as more and more energy is sourced, other industries have appeared alongside it. In other words, the latest “oil boom” has spurred a larger “economic boom” that is already paying major dividends to the students and professionals who are seizing this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Natural Beauty of West Texas
Big Bend National Park is in the heart of the Permian Basin. It offers breathtaking landscapes and diverse wildlife. The park covers over 800,000 acres. The park is known for its stunning canyons, vast deserts, and the majestic Rio Grande. It offers endless opportunities for hiking, camping, and exploring West Texas's natural beauty.