Texas A&M University reinforces commitment to affordable education with expanded aid

As college costs climb across the country, Texas A&M University is taking two major steps to keep an Aggie education within reach: the university has extended its freeze of undergraduate tuition and required fees through the 2026–27 academic year, and it will expand the Aggie Assurance program on the College Station campus beginning in fall 2026 so more families — including those with up to $100,000 in income and assets — can qualify for free tuition.

Since 2022, Texas A&M has held undergraduate tuition and required fees at 2021 rates, helping Texas A&M families save as much as $61 million over the past four years.

Approximately 80,000 undergraduate students have enrolled since 2021 without experiencing a tuition increase. May 2025 marked the first graduating class to complete its Texas A&M degree with no tuition or fee increase during the students’ time on campus, and the extension through 2026–27 means at least two additional graduating classes will share in those savings.

Students and families would be paying approximately $4,225 more over four years in tuition and fees alone had the university increased tuition and fees at the rate of inflation (4.5%).

Value that shows up after graduation
 

Texas A&M’s affordability commitment is paired with outcomes that continue to rank among the strongest in Texas and nationally. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges ranking placed Texas A&M No. 1 among public universities in Texas, No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference and No. 12 nationally among public institutions, based on measures that include student experience, career preparation, learning environment and return on investment. (Texas A&M Stories)

Known far and wide for its Core Values, that unite Aggies around the world and have shaped the character of countless graduates, Texas A&M students are also getting great economic value for their tuition investment and more and more are graduating debt free – approximately 63% of 2024–2025 Texas A&M graduates completed their education debt-free, up from 61% the year prior, versus 45% of students nationally.

Data from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) has highlighted the earning power of Texas A&M graduates, showing graduates can expect to earn approximately $52,000 on average one year after completing an undergraduate degree, the highest in the state of Texas and approximately $5,000 greater than the Texas average.

FREOPP also assessed the return on investment (ROI) — the estimated increase in lifetime earnings a student can expect when enrolling in a degree program minus the costs of college — for 53,000 degree and certificate programs. Among the state’s public universities, a Texas A&M degree holds the highest value, based on FREOPP’s methodology for measuring ROI. According to FREOPP’s data, the average ROI for a Texas A&M undergraduate degree (assuming on-time completion) is $861,725 — roughly $200,000 more than the average ROI across other Texas public institutions. Additionally, Texas A&M’s ROI is 28.2% higher than the national average.

For Texas students and parents looking for the best return on investment for their undergraduate degrees, the data is clear: Texas A&M University provides the best value among the state’s public institutions.

Free tuition program expands to $100,000
 

The Aggie Assurance program is Texas A&M’s free tuition program for eligible low- and middle-income Texas families. Beginning in fall 2026, the university will expand the program so that incoming undergraduates who are Texas residents and whose family income and assets are less than $100,000, and who meet the state priority deadline, can qualify for free tuition. First launched in 2008, Aggie Assurance was among the first programs of its kind in the nation and has expanded over time as Texas A&M deepened its commitment to access and affordability.

“Affordability and return on investment have been focal points for universities — and their critics — for a long time,” said Chris Reed, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Chief Enrollment Officer “Texas A&M’s outcomes are strong, and we’re determined to make sure affordability remains an equal priority. Extending the tuition freeze and expanding Aggie Assurance are two concrete ways we’re keeping a Texas A&M degree attainable for more students and families.”

Outcomes that create leaders at national scale
 

Texas A&M’s value shows up not only in affordability and earnings, but in the impact of Aggies across the economy and public life. No public university in Texas has produced more current Fortune 500 CEOs, and Texas A&M is tied for No. 1 nationally among public universities with former students leading Fortune 500 companies and national brands across energy, aviation, health care, consumer goods and beyond.