The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university located in Odessa, Texas. It was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973. Its official Spring 2016 enrollment was a record high 6,050, a 15% increase in headcount since the previous year. UTPB is now home to over 7,000 students and 250 teaching faculty.[3] The university is enjoying rapid growth as a result of the oil boom occurring in the Permian Basin.