Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
57%
Acceptance Rate
$13,239
Avg Cost (In-State)
$40,139
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
83%
Graduation Rate
74,829
Total Enrollment
What they weigh most
Source: Common Data Set
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
December 1
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
3
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$75
Interview
Not required
Essays: ApplyTexas requires 3 short answer essays (Topics A, B, and C), each 250-300 words, or Common App personal statement plus supplemental questions
Note: Automatic admission for Texas residents in top 10% of high school class (top 25% for general review consideration)
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$76,860
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
What current students say
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Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Texas A&M University
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Texas A&M University
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Texas Top 6% Auto-Admit (UT Austin)
~$20k valueTexas high-schoolers in the top 6% of their graduating class get automatic admission to UT Austin (not necessarily to a specific major).
Who it helps: Texas residents at any in-state public or accredited private high school who can sustain top-6% class rank through the end of junior year.
How to use: Confirm your rank with your school counselor by the end of junior year. Apply to UT Austin via ApplyTexas by the December 1 priority deadline. Indicate intended major; have a backup major ready in case your first choice is full. Check your portal status under Bealert.
Source ↗Texas Top 10% Auto-Admit (other Texas publics)
~$15k valueTexas top 10% gets automatic admission to most other Texas public universities (not UT Austin, which uses a tighter threshold).
Who it helps: Texas residents in the top 10% of their class who didn't make UT Austin's tighter cutoff but want a flagship-level state school.
How to use: Apply via ApplyTexas by each school's priority deadline. Indicate auto-admit status; school will verify with your transcript.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗TEXAS Grant
~$12k valueNeed-based grant for Texas residents attending Texas public universities — up to in-state tuition + mandatory fees.
Who it helps: Texas residents with EFC under $5,000-$6,000 attending a Texas public university. Priority given to first-time freshmen within 16 months of high school graduation.
How to use: File FAFSA or TASFA by the school's priority deadline. The school awards automatically if you qualify.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Texas State Presidential Honors Scholarship
$8,000-$28,000 over 4 years
universityTX residents in top 10% with 1300+ SAT/29+ ACT. Renewable.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗UNT Presidential Honors Scholarship
Up to full tuition (~$12,000/year)
universityUNT incoming freshmen with 30+ ACT/1370+ SAT + 3.85 GPA.
Deadline: December 15
Learn more ↗Sam Houston Smith-Hutson Scholarship
Up to $20,000 over 4 years
universitySHSU top freshmen with 1200+ SAT/24+ ACT + 3.5 GPA.
Deadline: March 1
Learn more ↗UTEP Top 10% Scholarship
Up to $4,000/year ($16,000 over 4 years) for Texas Top 10% high school graduates
universityIncoming freshmen graduating in the top 10% of a Texas high school class who enroll at UTEP; stackable with other UTEP merit awards; automatic consideration via admission application.
Deadline: March 1 (priority)
Learn more ↗UTEP Presidential Excellence Scholarship
$4,000-$8,000/year renewable up to 4 years for high-achieving incoming freshmen
universityCompetitive merit award for incoming freshmen with strong academic record (top 10%, ACT 24+/SAT 1160+); GPA maintenance required; automatic consideration via admission file.
Deadline: December 1 (priority)
Learn more ↗Coastal Bend Community Foundation Scholarships
$500-$5,000
localCorpus Christi / Coastal Bend TX area students.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗UTEP Cotton Memorial Scholarship
Tuition + fees for outstanding El Paso area residents
universityEl Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson county residents; demonstrated academic excellence and financial need; renewable with continued enrollment and GPA.
Deadline: February 15
Learn more ↗TX Public Educational Grant
Varies (institution-administered)
stateTX residents with financial need at TX public institutions; awarded from set-aside tuition revenues.
Deadline: Through institution
Learn more ↗UTEP Excellence Scholarship
Up to $2,000/year for entering freshmen with strong GPA
universityEntering freshmen with high GPA who do not qualify for Presidential Excellence; automatic consideration via admission application.
Deadline: Rolling with admission application
Learn more ↗Net price by income
What it actually costs your family.
Average net price (tuition, fees, room/board minus grant aid) by household income tier, AY 2023–24. Source: IPEDS NPRC1.
| Household income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0 – $30,000 | $7,800 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $9,800 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $13,400 |
| $75,001 – $110,000 | $17,400 |
| $110,001+ | $21,400 |
Cost calculator
See the full income-tier cost breakdown for Texas A&M University →
Type your household income and get a per-family estimate, plus % off sticker and a methodology breakdown.
Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 57% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
63%
acceptance
Auto-admit TX top 10%. Priority deadline Dec 1.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
22.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
25.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
94.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
25.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
42.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
93.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
83.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Not considered
Visits, info sessions and opening emails don't move the needle here.
For transfer students
Transferring in to Texas A&M University.
50%
Transfer admit rate
3.0
Min transfer GPA
TX TCCNS + PSA
State articulation
Program for System Admission (PSA) guarantees A&M-Main transfer after a year at any TAMU System school.
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
57% acceptance
Both admit around 57% of applicants, with 38k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Texas A&M University-College Station
College Station, TX
57.4% acceptance
Both admit around 57% of applicants, with 60k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ
58.2% acceptance
Both admit around 58% of applicants, with 38k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
Daytona Beach, FL
57.9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (58% vs 57%) but out-of-state cost runs $12k — meaningfully less than $40k.
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
66.1% acceptance
Similar selectivity (66% vs 57%) but out-of-state cost runs $17k — meaningfully less than $40k.
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA
51.6% acceptance
Similar selectivity (52% vs 57%) but out-of-state cost runs $18k — meaningfully less than $40k.
Reaches above this college
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
24.2% acceptance
Same c setting in the South, but more selective (24% vs 57%) — a stretch target if Texas A&M University is already on your list.
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA
16.8% acceptance
Same c setting in the South, but more selective (17% vs 57%) — a stretch target if Texas A&M University is already on your list.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
16.8% acceptance
Same c setting in the South, but more selective (17% vs 57%) — a stretch target if Texas A&M University is already on your list.
Safer alternatives
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
68% acceptance
Same c setting in the South, but higher admit rate (68% vs 57%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN
69.1% acceptance
Same c setting in the South, but higher admit rate (69% vs 57%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of Delaware
Newark, DE
70.6% acceptance
Same c setting in the South, but higher admit rate (71% vs 57%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
Community college transfer route
Blinn TEAM program is unique: you're simultaneously enrolled at Blinn and A&M, live on A&M campus, participate in all A&M activities including Corps, then automatically transfer to full A&M engineering after one year with 3.0+ GPA. This backdoor entry saves $15,000+ first year and guarantees engineering admission if you perform.
Feeder community colleges:
Cost savings: Blinn year one costs ~$8,500 total vs $30,609 at A&M — saving $22,000 while accessing identical A&M resources and social experience through TEAM program.
Transfer success rate: Blinn TEAM to A&M Engineering: 89% successful transfer rate for students maintaining 3.0+ GPA — this is essentially guaranteed pathway if you execute academically.
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