At a time when families across the country are questioning the cost and value of a college degree, demand for a Texas A&M University education remains extraordinarily strong, reflecting the university’s commitment to delivering an education that is accessible, affordable and capable of creating lifelong opportunities.
Completed applications for incoming freshmen rose 24% over the last two years. Texas A&M received more than 83,000 applications overall, a record high for the university. The incoming class, which numbered 12,645 as of the 20th day of classes, brought total fall semester enrollment to 81,990 students across the university’s locations, an all-time high. Roughly 85% of the university’s students are from Texas, reflecting a commitment to serving the people of the Lone Star State.
Texas A&M has grown, like the state it serves, while ensuring that its students can afford an education, succeed in their classes, graduate without significant debt, enter their careers positioned to thrive and see a great return on their investment. They receive a well-rounded, second-to-none education. Texas A&M is the No. 1 Texas public university and No. 12 among all American public universities, according to The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges rankings, which place particular emphasis on value by including measures such as student experience, learning environment and return on investment.
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“Building on a 150-year legacy, Texas A&M University remains committed to providing an exceptional education where we are attentive to the investment current and prospective students make as they seek a degree that prepares them to lead lives of consequence,” Texas A&M President Susan Ballabina said. “The confidence placed in Texas A&M carries a responsibility. True to our founding mission, we must help students succeed while preparing the talent, ideas and leadership our state and nation need.”
Offering opportunity
As a land-grant institution, Texas A&M is committed to providing the opportunity for higher education to qualified applicants, regardless of their financial circumstances. To that end, the university’s undergraduate tuition and fees remain frozen at 2021 rates. Students and families would be paying approximately $4,225 more over four years in tuition and fees had those costs simply risen with inflation.
For the 2026 fall semester, Texas A&M has expanded the Free Tuition Program — formally known as the Aggie Assurance program. Under it, the university provides aid covering both tuition and required fees. The Free Tuition Program is now available to incoming undergraduate Texans whose annual family income and assets total less than $100,000. The expansion means that 1,062 students now have their tuition and academic fees covered through the program as they pursue a degree at Texas A&M.
Nationally, less than half of college students graduate without student debt. At Texas A&M, 63% of graduates complete their education debt-free.
Supporting students
Roughly 23% of Texas A&M’s freshmen are first-generation college students, an uptick from last year’s class. The university offers a variety of programs and services to support its first-generation students, guiding them through the challenges of the college experience and welcoming them as members of the Aggie Family.
According to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, Texas A&M supports its freshmen better than any other public university in Texas. The university fosters an atmosphere of satisfaction, belonging and success in a variety of ways, such as Fish Camp, a three-day orientation program, and Hullabaloo U, a first-year seminar specifically designed to help students navigate college life. Nationally, about 75% of freshmen return for their sophomore year. At Texas A&M, 95% of freshmen return the following year, among the best retention rates in the nation.
That retention rate is a strong indicator of overall college success. Nationally, less than half of college students earn their degree within four years. At Texas A&M, two out of every three graduate on time.
An education informed by values
Texas A&M’s academics are shaped by its Core Values: Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect and Selfless Service. These are not just ideals but are woven into the entire student experience, from curricula and academic integrity policies to research, outreach and service initiatives.
One result: Texas A&M ranks among America’s top 25 public universities, according to U.S. News. Its students learn from professors who are top professionals in their fields. The university is one of a handful of institutions that can claim both membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities and the triple designation as a land-, sea- and space-grant university.
Texas A&M is also special because of the unique traditions and Core Values in which Aggies are immersed. To measure this aspect of students’ education, the university will soon launch Aggie Passport: a system that will formally document their leadership roles, service work and other beyond-the-classroom learning through stackable microcredentialing. It will ensure that potential employers can judge those skills and experiences alongside an academic transcript.
A lifetime of value
Incoming students can expect to graduate free of excessive debt, empowered to pursue their highest calling and positioned to succeed in the job market.
The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard shows that Texas A&M graduates have median annual earnings of nearly $88,500 seven years after graduation, well above the state midpoint of just over $71,000.
Texas A&M’s return on investment over five years is also 23 percentage points higher than the state average for college graduates, according to College Scorecard data — demonstrating that the university is generating strong value well into graduates’ professional lives.
Prepared to serve others
As Texas A&M celebrates its 150th anniversary, it continues to measure success not just by how many students want to become Aggies, but by what an Aggie education makes possible.
Strong demand for Texas A&M degrees is one measure. Helping students graduate with less debt is another. So are the strong career outcomes and upward mobility achieved by generations of Aggies. When Texas A&M graduates leave Aggieland, they put their education to work in service to others across Texas, the nation and the world.
“Our values should not remain here when students graduate. They should be visible in the engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, physicians, service members, public servants, parents, neighbors and leaders that Aggies become,” Ballabina said in a recent address launching Beyond 150: One University for Good, the university’s shared vision and strategic plan.
Aggies, she continued, “Care for a neighbor, they lead with integrity, they solve a problem, they help a colleague, they serve a community, they do the right thing when no one is watching … That is our purpose … to give every Aggie a transformative experience that prepares them to become a force for good wherever their calling takes them.”
