 Between 1889 and 1917, ETNC was an independent private college that only gained income from tuition and a modest profit from its dormitories; it had no endowment.During this period, it offered six degree programs and educated more than 30,000 students, including more public school teachers than any other institution of higher learning in Texas during the same period; the college also gained a reputation for educating rural school teachers.In 1917, ETNC counted almost 2,000 currently enrolled students.