Texas A&M University Guide
The Ivy Scholars guide to Texas A&M University’s culture, admissions, and other essential information for prospective students and their families.
Location: College, Station Texas
Mascot: Reveille the Dog
Type: Public Research Institution
Population: 70,000 (54,500 undergrads)
About Texas A&M University
Texas A&M’s 5,200 acre campus located in College Station, Texas is the largest campus in the United States. The school’s students, athletes, and alumni are known as “Aggies” – a name which references the university’s former name – “The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.” Texas A&M is the only institution in Texas to hold the title of land grant, sea grant, and space grant.
Texas A&M University Statistics
Year Founded: 1876
4 Year Graduation Rate: 51.0%
Gender Distribution: 53% male, 47% female
Acceptance Rate: 71%
Residency: 85% in state, 6% out of state, 9% international
Location Type: College Town
Schedule System: Semesters
Student/Faculty Ratio: 6:1
Average Class Size: 14
Demographics: 62% Caucasian, 7% Asian, 3% Black, 23% Hispanic, 5% Other
National Rankings
US News Rankings:
- #27 Top public schools
- #44 Undergraduate research
- #52 Most Innovative Schools
- #70 Best Nationally
- #76 Best Undergraduate Teaching
Independent Rankings:
- #1 Most Affordable College in Texas per Business Insider
- #2 Best Master’s in Human Resources per College Choice
- #13 Best Value for Public School per Forbes
- #18 Best Value College per Money Magazine
- #22 Best Public University per Wall Street Journal
- #94 Best College per Wall Street Journal
Texas A&M University Admissions Statistics
Application Deadlines:
- Regular Decision: December 1st
- Transfer Deadline: March 15th
Notification Dates:
- Regular Decision: April 1st
Acceptance Rates:
- RA: 71%
- Transfer: 53%
Average Applicant Pool: 37,000
Average Number of Applicants Accepted: 26,000
Average Number Enrolled: 11,500
Application Systems: Coalition App, Apply Texas
Average GPA: 3.68 weighted
SAT Scores: 25th percentile – 1180, 75th percentile -1390
ACT Scores: 25th percentile – 26, 75th percentile – 31
*Test mandatory. Writing sections optional.
Subject Test Requirements: No Subject Tests are required, but high scores in some subject tests may be substituted for credit.
Demonstrated Interest: Texas A&M does consider demonstrated interest.
Click here for tips on demonstrating interest in a university.
Recommendation Letter Policies: You may submit up to two letters of recommendation, more than this are not reviewed. Letters of recommendation are not required, and are not strongly considered.
Texas A&M University Essay Prompts for 2020: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? (650 words maximum)
Special Notes:
You may qualify for automatic admission in one of three ways:
1. Graduate in the top 10% of your class at a public high school in Texas
2. Graduate in the top quarter of your graduating class and score a total of 1360 on your SAT (minimum 630 Math, 660 English) or a composite of 30 on your ACT (minimum 27 English, 27 Math)
3. You may also qualify under the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy.
Texas A&M University Academics
Schools:
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- College of Architecture
- Mays Business School (capped at 1,000 admits)
- College of Dentistry
- College of Education and Human Development
- College of Engineering
- College of Geosciences
- Bush School of Government and Public Service
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Nursing (27% acceptance rate)
- School of Public Health
- College of Sciences
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Core Requirements:
- 42 Semester Credit Hours (SCH) total (6 SCH Communications, 6 SCH Mathematics, 9 SCH Life and Physical Sciences, 3 SCH Language, Philosophy, and Culture, 3 SCH Creative Arts, 6 SCH American History, 6 SCH Government and Political Science, 3 SCH of Social and Behavioral Sciences)
- Comprehensive Core Requirements Information
What Majors Does Texas A&M University Offer?
- 90 Majors Offered
- Option to double major
- Popular majors include Interdisciplinary Studies, Biology, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, and Psychology.
What Minors Does Texas A&M University Offer?
Texas A&M University AP Credit Policy:
- Texas A&M accepts credit for scores of 4 or 5 on most AP exams and scores of 4 or above on IB higher-level exams, as long as the student was awarded an IB diploma.
- Comprehensive AP Credit Information
Honors Programs:
- University Honors Program (allows students to take additional courses, build their own majors, and be part of a smaller, more focused campus community)
- Cornerstone Honors Program (alternate honors path from the University Honors Program, which allows students to take various honors level courses)
- University and Departmental Honors (includes Latin Honors)
- Engineering Honors (separate honors track within the engineering program with additional application requirements)
- Scholastic Honors Societies (focused academic networks)
Research Availability:
- LAUNCH gets undergraduates involved in university research initiatives.
Study Abroad:
Business Options:
- Mays Business School has nine undergraduate majors as well as a business minor. The program is very prestigious more competitive than Texas A&M generally.
Pre-Med Options:
- Texas A&M does not offer a pre-med major, but does automatically admit students who meet certain requirements through Early Assurance into its medical school.
- Military to Medicine Program
- Engineering to Medicine Program
- Cadet to Medicine Program
- Pre-Medical Society
Pre-Law Options:
Additional Specialty Programs:
Student Life at Texas A&M University
School Motto: Through Unity, Strength
Mission and Values:
- Mission: Texas A&M University is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication, and application of knowledge in a wide range of academic and professional fields.
- Values: Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect, and Selfless Service
- Additional Information
- Student Testimonials: (Niche, Unigo, Grad Reports)
Texas A&M’s Housing:
- A subset of on campus housing, Living Learning Communities (LLCs) “provide an ideal learning environment as most students spend more collective hours in their living environment than any other location on campus, including the classroom.”
- Students are not required to live on-campus, although there are a large number of dormitories and residence halls. There are also off-campus apartments available to rent through the university for upperclassmen and graduate students.
Housing Statistics:
- 20% of students live on campus
- 80% of students live off campus
Campus & Surrounding Area:
- Bisected by a railway track, the campus is divided into the Main Campus and the West Campus.
- The university dominates the town of College Station, which has 170,000 residents.
- The campus boasts numerous attractions, including a presidential library, various arts venues, and local attractions.
- A campus map and virtual tour can help give a sense of the scale and beauty of A&M.
- Texas A&M has a very safe campus, and has its own Police Department.
Transportation:
- The university operates both on and off campus shuttles, which are free to ride with a student ID. Students can use these to get to class or head downtown. Weekday hours of operation are 7AM-6PM, with variant hours for nights, weekends, and gamedays.
- There are bike and car share programs available on campus.
- Parking Information
Traditions:
- Orientation – Each year, new students attend a 4-day “Fish Camp” to learn about the school and its traditions.
- Pennies on Sully – Students put pennies on the statue of the school’s former president for good luck on exams.
- The Corps’ Traditions – The corps of cadets has a number of traditions to promote unity and their legacy.
- Game Day – There are numerous game day traditions including band performances and Midnight Yell rallies, which occur before home games at Kyle Field. All the lights are turned off, and couples kiss in the dark. Singles hold up lighters to show their position to other singles.
- Remembrance – Traditions honoring people associated with the University who have passed away.
Student-Run Organizations:
- Organization Database
- Sample Organizations (Singing Cadets, Student Government Association, The Big Event)
Sports:
- D1 Athletics – Southeastern Conference (Good Football and Women’s Soccer)
- Intramural Sports
- Club Sports
- Main Rival: LSU
Greek Life:
Around 10% of the student body at Texas A&M participates in Greek Life. There are 58 organizations on campus, including social, academic, and service oriented groups.
Nightlife:
- There are many nightlife options in College Station.
- A&M is the #9 party school in Texas according to Niche.
- There are over 1,200 performances and sporting events on campus each year.
Financial Information
Yearly Cost of Attending Texas A&M University in 2020:
- Total: $31,428
- Tuition and Fees: $12,744
- Room & Board: $11,400
- Books: $1,222
- Travel: $2,498
- Personal Expenses: $3,500
Scholarships and Financial Aid:
All admitted students must complete applications to be considered for both scholarships and financial aid. There are plenty of work-study opportunities on campus, and students can also apply for State and Federal funds by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Fun Facts
- Since 1931, Reveille – the school’s canine mascot – has held the highest rank in the cadet corps.
- All former Reveilles are buried under the North end of the Kyle Field football stadium, with their heads facing the scoreboard.
- Kyle Field football stadium is the tallest structure in College Station Texas.
- Notable Alumni include former Texas Governor Rick Perry, and former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga.
- 7 Aggies won a Medal of Honor in WWII.
