THIS IS AUSTIN

Learning from elementary through university

It's fitting that in the heart of Austin you'll find the sprawling main campus of the University of Texas at Austin occupying about 350 acres downtown.

It illustrates the central role education plays in Austin, a city where 42.3 percent of the population has a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimates. In 2007, the Texas Education Agency, which rates school districts under the statewide accountability system, designated 34 public schools in Austin and surrounding counties as 'exemplary.' Local schools also excel in athletics, such as state football champions Lake Travis (4A, Division 2) and Liberty Hill (3A, Division 1), state basketball champions Thorndale (Class A, Division 1) and state volleyball champions Wimberley (3A).

Still thousands of other students are enrolled in the area's many private schools, including Montessori and religious schools.

Higher education choices are also plentiful and varied, with enrollment numbers ranging from 768 to more than 50,000 students. The landscape of higher education in Austin continues to change and grow, with Concordia University moving to a newer, larger campus that will include a nature preserve.

Austin also offers educational opportunities outside of schools and is home to 20 public library branches throughout the city, in addition to the Faulk Central Library and the Austin History Center. These libraries offer the public a variety of resources, from research assistance to help with homework and meeting rooms. According to the library, 66 percent of Austin's population is a registered library cardholder, and more than 5 million visits have been made to the library's Web site.

The city also has several history libraries such as Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential library and the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. These history libraries specialize in topics, and offer the public a glimpse of rare books and related artifacts. The Ransom Center houses notes and other documents donated by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, gathered during the Watergate story, and an archive by author Norman Mailer that includes thousands of pieces of correspondence.