University of Dallas vs University of Texas at Austin

The mission of the Cowan-Blakley Memorial Library is to promote and facilitate scholarly engagement by providing access to both traditional and innovative resources, creating adaptive spaces, and cultivating excellence in teaching, learning, and research. In service to the mission of the University of Dallas, the library supports a diverse intellectual community in its pursuit of wisdom, truth, and virtue.

For more than 125 years, the University of Texas Libraries have committed to building one of the greatest library collections in the world. Maintaining more than 10 million volumes and providing access to the latest digital journals, databases and web resources, the Libraries collects and preserves the finest achievements of human knowledge in support of not only research and instruction needs, but also the exploration of ideas and intellectual innovation.

Irving, Texas, is centrally situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, and it is home to more than 240,000 residents. The city’s rich diversity is exhibited by its population and the number of languages spoken by residents. Irving offers the world-class Irving Arts Center that hosts live theater, ballet and symphony performances, as well as national and local visual exhibits. The Toyota Music Factory offers an 8,000-seat music hall that includes a 4,000-seat amphitheater and numerous dining and retail opportunities. The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas features nearly 100,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space and is served by the a 350-room Westin Convention Center Hotel. 

Irving’s state-of-the-art transportation options include two large airports, light and heavy rail, and a number of major highways, providing easy access to North Texas and beyond. 

While Irving is in the center of a large metropolitan area, its beautiful green spaces — including exceptional golf courses and more than 80 parks on 1,873 park acres — beg outdoor activity. Irving’s Campion Trail offers 13 miles of walkable, bikeable trail. Of Irving’s 67.9 square miles of land area, more than 23-square miles are dedicated to master-planned developments and districts. These well-designed developments include the Heritage Crossing District, Las Colinas, Valley Ranch and multiple retail centers. Irving has more than 100 shopping centers and more than 500 restaurants offering a variety of cuisines.

The city bursts with an entrepreneurial spirit and has internationally renowned music, film and art scenes. The spring-fed waters of Barton and greenbelt trails make the city a perfect destination for outdoor creation. The unemployment rate of the city is 6.7 as of July 2020. Being one of the fastest-growing metros, it offers a great opportunities for students.