This fall, students are choosing an Aggie education and it shows, with record applications and enrollment numbers.
A 2.1 per cent increase in enrollment over last year is no small feat, with 79,105 students enrolled at Texas A&M University (this includes all locations) as of the 20th day of classes on
September 16th. Much of the enrollment growth was concentrated in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University Law School, and the Bush School of Government and Public Service. Graduate programs account for more than half of the university’s overall growth.
“The demand for an Aggie education has never been higher, and that says a lot about what we stand for: excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect and selfless service, in addition to giving our students a superior academic experience,”
– General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M
Out of the 72,560 students at the College Station campus, a location that enjoyed a 2 per cent increase compared to the same term last year, 57,659 are undergraduates. There was a modest decrease in new, first-time undergraduates. Texas A&M reported 12,531 first-time college students this semester, which includes students enrolled in programs at A&M Engineering Academies across the state as well as the Galveston and McAllen Campuses.
That’s a 9.8 percent decrease from last fall, though it’s a strategic move by the university, while first-time graduate student enrollment grew in the opposite direction – up 9.8 per cent from 4,630 last fall to a current total of 5,083. According to Chris Reed, associate vice president for enrollment management and chief enrollment officer, “We strategically grew specific programs on campus while intentionally enrolling a smaller new undergraduate cohort this year. Doing so has allowed us to enroll yet another highly competitive class while ensuring we can maintain a world-class student experience.”
Of the freshman students admitted across all Texas A&M campuses this fall, 47% were among the top 10 percent of their graduating high school class. That number is 50 per cent for freshman at the College Station campus. Texans made up 94 per cent of the undergraduate student body.
Texas A&M is the largest university of the state – and a record growth rate means it sits at double the growth of other public universities over the last 10 years. Texas A&M has been closely monitoring and analyzing the impact of its growth on the campus community.
As the largest university in the state, growing at a rate double that of other public universities over the past 10 years, Texas A&M has been closely monitoring and analyzing the impact of its growth on the campus community. While the study is still being finalized for submission to the university president, we know it recommends a pause on undergraduate enrollment growth for the next five years. That will allow for appropriate planning and development to support current enrollments and prepare for future growth. Remote locations are one area the university is focusing on – student enrollment for those who graduate in the top 10 percent of their graduating class are still admitted. All of this is made possible while expanding online and graduate programs.
With record applicant numbers and enrollment growth alongside a period of increased national and global recognition for the university, Texas A&M is truly being valued as a high-ranking university. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal. Texas A&M’s heightened profile is also evidenced by its ranking as the nations’ 14th-most recognized university — and the most recognized university in the state — according to the latest global visibility rankings from higher education research and consulting firm American Caldwell.
More details are available on preliminary Fall 2024 student enrollment and demographics through the Office of Academic and Business Performance Analytics. Texas A&M University’s main campus is found in College Station, Texas, and includes the Texas A&M Health Science Center, as well as remote locations in Fort Worth, Galveston, McAllen and Doha, Qatar.