Founded in 1876, Texas A&M University was the first public institution of higher learning in the state of Texas.
After gaining university status in 1963, the school decided to incorporate the “A&M” in its new official name as a nod to its rich history and tradition.
Texas A&M students are affectionately referred to as the Aggies, an official nickname for the student body that also reflects the school’s commitment to its agricultural roots.
Today, Texas A&M is a public, research-intensive flagship university with a total enrollment of 73,284 students, 67,133 of which are located at the main campus in College Station.
Situated between Houston, Dallas, and Austin, some of the state’s largest and most prominent urban centers, Texas A&M’s College Station campus sits at the heart of the Texas Triangle.
In 2018, Texas A&M University was named #1 for best college value among all universities in the state of Texas, according to annual rankings by Money Magazine.
The college’s athletic teams compete in the Southeastern Conference in the NCAA’s Division I.
Read on to learn more about Texas A&M University in College Station, including what the admission process is like, the school’s acceptance rates, what the application requires, and more.
Texas A&M University Acceptance Rate
According to the most recent data, the acceptance rate for Texas A&M University is 63%.
In 2021, the school received 43,307 applications for the first-year class of 2025.
Of these applicants, 27,287 students received offers for admission. The school ranks #26 in Texas for the lowest acceptance rate.
On the other hand, this acceptance rate is higher than it has been in the past. In the fall of 2020, for example, Texas A&M College Station accepted 57.8% of the more than 42,500 first-year students who applied, making the acceptance rate for this year 5% lower than the following year.
Texas A&M admissions can therefore be considered somewhat selective.
Only 41% of students who receive offers for admission choose to enroll at the school, however, students whose GPAs, SAT/ACT scores, and other academic credentials are close to the average for students who have been accepted in the past have a very good chance of getting in.
Texas A&M University Out-of-State Acceptance Rate
Because the available admissions data does not break down acceptance rates according to geographical origin, it is challenging to say the out-of-state acceptance rate for Texas A&M University.
It can be said that a significant majority of Texas A&M students are state residents.
While around 94% of the student body hails from the state of Texas, only about 6% of students come from out of state.
Of this 6%, 5% are from other areas of the United States, and the remaining 1% are international students.
Tuition is probably a part of why there is such a small number of out-of-state students at Texas A&M. In-state tuition at the school is relatively affordable at $13,012, according to estimates for the fall and spring 2022 and 2023.
After accounting for the cost of textbooks, travel expenses, housing, and other associated fees, the total price of a year at Texas A&M for a state resident comes to $32,026.
Out-of-state tuition, on the other hand, is considerably higher at $40,896 a year. Once the aforementioned additional expenses are taken into consideration, the annual price tag for out-of-state students at the school is about $61,310 — nearly twice the price for Texas locals.
GPA for Texas A&M
The average high school GPA of applicants admitted to Texas A&M as first-year students is 3.68.
This means that in order to be a competitive applicant to the school, students will need to earn mainly As and a handful of Bs in high school classes.
Furthermore, in the 2019 admissions cycle, a 56.6% majority of admitted first-year students at Texas A&M had graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.
That being said, Texas A&M does not require a specific minimum GPA in order to be considered for admission to the first-year class.
The admissions process for transfer students, on the other hand, is a bit different. In order to be considered for admission as a transfer student, Texas A&M applicants must have no less than a 2.5 GPA in a minimum of 24 hours of graded, transferable coursework.
SAT & ACT Requirements for TAMU
Like many other schools, Texas A&M University decided to waive the SAT or ACT test score requirement from the first-year application process in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They also decided to extend this temporary test-optional policy for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 admissions cycles. It is not yet known whether the school will reinstate the test score requirement for future applicants.
The Texas A&M admissions team encourages students who have taken the SAT or ACT to submit their scores regardless since high test scores will only benefit applicants. According to the school, low test scores will have no impact on admissions decisions.
Although the college does not require a minimum SAT or ACT score for admission, the average SAT score of admitted students is 1275.
The 25th percentile SAT score is 1180, and the 75 percentile score is 1390. This means that scoring below 1180 places you below the average accepted student, while exceeding 1390 means you scored higher than most accepted students.
The average ACT score of admitted students at Texas A&M is 29.
The 25th percentile score is 26, so scoring higher than that will improve your chances of acceptance to the school. To stand out from other applicants, students will want to score at or above the 75th percentile score of 31.
Other Requirements and Admission Tips
Students can apply to Texas A&M University by completing either the Coalition Application or the ApplyTexas application.
There is a nonrefundable $75 processing fee that is due at the time of submitting an application. Fee waivers are available for eligible applicants.
Along with the completed application, fee, and the required essay, all prospective first-year students must submit a self-reported academic record (SRAR), except for students who have completed a GED program and students who completed high school outside of the United States.
The SRAR can be created using the applicant’s official high school transcript, including a list of all courses taken and the grades earned in each of them. In addition, the SRAR should include the applicant’s class rank and weighted GPA.
Submission of a high school transcript is required for all applicants who have completed high school or an equivalent program.
Automatic admission is available for any Texas resident who graduated in the top 10% of their high school class at a recognized private or public school in the state.
Applicants who report a top 10% ranking must verify their eligibility by completing both the SRAR and submitting their final, official high school transcript.
Essays for Texas A&M University
One relatively short essay is required as part of the Texas A&M University application process.
Available through the ApplyTexas application or the Coalition Application, the essay prompt asks students to tell their stories, including any unique challenges or opportunities faced during high school that have shaped who the student is at the time of applying.
Texas A&M offers four specific tips for crafting a strong personal essay.
First, they advise students to ensure that they answer the question using a specific instance to respond to the prompt. They warn students not to repeat information that can be found elsewhere on the application, and instead focus on demonstrating their unique personalities through a thorough, compelling explanation of the recounted instance.
Second, Texas A&M encourages students to be authentic. The writing style used in the essay should reflect the applicant’s personality, but it should also be academic, polished, and cognizant of the intended audience.
Third, they recommend that although the essay prompt is broad, the applicant’s response should be specific and include ample details in order to highlight the most unique aspects of the applicant’s identity and experiences.
Last, applicants should carefully proofread their essays for any spelling and grammatical errors.
Is Texas A&M Right for You?
Those who are interested in research will find that Texas A&M’s programs are extremely well supported, with the school’s research expenditures reaching an astounding $1.13 billion.
In fact, Texas A&M is the only university in Texas to exceed one billion dollars in research funds.
Across its 17 colleges and schools, Texas A&M has over 1,100 student organizations, as well as a total of 4,922 faculty members.
These are only a couple examples of the vast resources and opportunities that the school has to offer its students.
In 2019, Texas A&M was the #1 university in the country for having the most graduates serving as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The school’s alumni network consists of over 528,000 former students.
With 93.2% of first-year students returning to the school for a second year, Texas A&M has one of the highest freshman retention rates in the country.
This suggests that students who choose Texas A&M are happy to have done so, as first-year retention is a widely accepted barometer for student satisfaction.
Further, the school’s four-year graduation rate is on the rise, climbing from 56.2% in 2018 to 59% the following year.
This increase is even higher for first-generation students and students from families with annual earnings of less than $60,000.
Although there is no simple, singular set of guidelines for determining what university is the best for you, there are many reasons to go to Texas A&M University.
