Tarleton State University is a public, coeducational, state university located in Stephenville, Texas. It is the largest non-land-grant university primarily devoted to agriculture in the United States.

Located near the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Tarleton is a growing institution, known for its internationally recognized horse production program and innovative teacher education programs. The university has one of the largest and oldest public school improvement partnerships in the United States that benefits more than 50 area school districts. In the Fall of 2006, the university had 9,462 students enrolled at two campuses up from 8,540 in 2004 making it one of the fastest growing universities in Texas and the third largest university in the A&M system.

Founded in 1899, John Tarleton Agricultural College became a member of The Texas A&M University System in 1917, a four-year degree-granting institution in 1959 and gained status as a university in 1973. Tarleton State University is now one of the state's fastest growing institutions with an enrollment of approximately 10,500 for fall 2009. Tarleton State enjoys the second largest enrollment in the Texas A&M System; with only Texas A&M at College Station being larger.

Coordinates: 53°40′41″N 2°50′30″W / 53.67800°N 2.84168°W / 53.67800; -2.84168

Tarleton is a village and civil parish situated in the Lancashire mosslands north east of Southport, and to the south west of Preston, in North West England. The village is known for farming due to its rich soil quality. The River Douglas runs northwards to the east of the village, which is locally thought to be where the Vikings camped on the river banks of what is now Tarleton.^{[citation needed]} The parish also includes the villiage of Mere Brow and the hamlets of Sollom and Holmes.

Tarleton is sometimes said to be derived from a Viking settlement known as Jarle's Town. The more likely derivation is from the Norse name Tharaldr, to which tun has been added. The early form is "Tarleton", by about 1200 and it is mentioned in the Feet of Fines in 1298. The township was recorded as Tharilton in 1246 and subsequently Tarleton.

William Farrer & J. Brownbill describe how Tarleton was once part of Croston. "The township was separated from Croston in 1821, and made an independent parish by Act of Parliament. The River Douglas or Asland, as it is here called, flowing north to the Ribble, forms the eastern boundary for some 3 miles. The low-lying level surface stretches west for about the same distance to reach the borders of what was Martin Mere, now drained. A stretch of slightly higher land lies all along the river bank, and about the centre of it is the village of Tarleton; at the south end is the hamlet of Sollom. On another slightly elevated piece of land on the west is the hamlet of Holmes, with Mere Brow to the south. A large part of the area is moss-land—Tarleton Moss on the north and Sollom Moss on the south. The area is 5,534½ acres, and the population in 1901 was 1,800.