Proud students and Texas A&M graduates know Texas A&M University is one of a kind – but according to a data analysis, it also offers the best value and return on investment for undergraduate degrees among the state’s public institutions, too.
According to a full analysis from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP), a Texas A&M degree holds the highest value in the state of Texas. The results are calculated using a simple formula: the estimated increase in lifetime earnings minus the costs of college. In fact, the average return on investment for a Texas A&M undergraduate degree completed on-time is $861,725 – around $200,000 more than the average return on investment in other Texas public institutions. That’s 28.2 per cent higher than the national average.
“Aggies have long known the value of an education at Texas A&M University. It’s one of the reasons we have so many families whose children and children’s children choose Texas A&M,” stated General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University.
A Texas A&M undergraduate degree holder earns more, in addition to expert industry knowledge and life skills. Graduates can expect yearly earnings of $85,685 on average, compared to $76,875 across other universities in Texas (a total of 9.5 per cent higher income). The earnings one year after completing an undergraduate degree program is also higher than the state average – Aggies earn $51,963 on average, while the state average is $47,340, which is a total of 9.3 per cent.
61 per cent of Texas A&M Graduates graduate debt-free, 13 per cent above the national average, helping graduates enter the workforce with minimal financial strain.
It’s impossible to ignore the other benefits of being a Texas A&M student – not all returns are financial. It was recently named the top university in Texas and No. 11 public university in the United States. The Texas A&M College of Engineering has received accolades – it was named a top 10 public engineering school by U.S. News and World Report. The Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering was ranked best in the nation, as was the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
Looking deeper into the analysis, Texas A&M has the No. 1 (petroleum engineering), No. 3 (business), No. 4 (marine transportation), No. 8 (chemical engineering) and No. 9 (computer engineering) highest-earning public bachelor’s degrees in the nation within 10 years of graduation. The university holds the No. 1 and No. 2 highest-earning public bachelor’s degrees within one year of completion are petroleum and chemical engineering.
In addition, Texas A&M is the nation’s top public university for producing CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Seven Aggie CEOs line the annual list compiled by Fortune Magazine. Texas A&M is the No. 5 university overall, and the only Texas university in the top 10 for producing Fortune 500 CEOs.
