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The Texas A&M University System is one six independent university systems in Texas.
The system educates about 152,000 students each year and employs more than 26,000 faculty and staff. It operates with a budget of $9.6 billion and comprises 11 universities, eight state agencies, and a workforce development campus.
Mission
The mission of Texas A&M University System is to “provide education, conduct research, commercialize technology, offer training, and deliver services for the people of Texas and beyond through its universities, state agencies and health science center.”
Campuses
The system’s flagship institution is Texas A&M University in College Station, which was established in 1876 as an all-male military college. Originally it was called the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas — hence the acronym “A&M.”
Prairie View A&M, also established in 1876, is an historically black university. The other universities in the system are:
- Tarleton State University
- Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
- Texas A&M University–Kingsville
- Texas A&M International University (Laredo)
- West Texas A&M University (Canyon/Amarillo)
- Texas A&M University–Central Texas (Killeen)
- Texas A&M University–Texarkana
- Texas A&M University–Commerce
Each member of the A&M System has its own mission, history and goals, and each has its own leadership team.
Agencies
In addition to the universities, the Texas A&M University System boasts eight state agencies with missions ranging from research to protecting natural resources and communities.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research (formerly the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station) was established in 1887. It represents a state-federal partnership in agricultural research.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (formerly the Texas Agricultural Extension Service) grew out of the agricultural initiatives of Texas A&M University under the provisions of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which provided for cooperative agricultural extension work between Texas land-grant colleges and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Texas A&M Forest Service was established in 1914, as a way to provide resources to develop and protect the forested areas of Texas.
Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory was created during the regular session of the 60th Legislature, in 1967; the lab formally opened in College Station in 1969.
The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station was also created in 1914 with a research and technology transfer mission for the field of engineering.
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, established in 1919, is dedicated to helping develop a skilled workforce through technical and vocational training.
Texas A&M Transportation Institute, created in 1950, conducts highway, safety, and other transportation-related research.
In 2019, the Texas Division of Emergency Management joined the A&M System as its eighth state agency. TDEM has roots in the civil defense programs established during World War II. The agency responds to disasters like hurricanes, floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Governance and Administration
The Texas A&M System is governed by a nine-member Board of Regents, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate for six-year terms. A nonvoting student member was added in 2006.
The A&M System chancellor oversees the day-to-day administration. He is supported by a 16-member executive committee.
The role of the A&M System headquarters is to oversee the administration and set policy direction for the system’s component institutions. It also plays a role in promoting academic research and technology, and liaising with higher levels of government.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees vary across the Texas A&M System. The figures below represent the average amounts charged to resident undergraduates enrolled in 15 semester credit hours in the fall semester 2022, as reported by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:
- Prairie View A&M: $5,587
- Tarleton State University: $5,264
- Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi: $5,385
- Texas A&M University–Kingsville: $4,695
- Texas A&M International University (Laredo): $,725
- West Texas A&M University (Canyon/Amarillo): $4,610
- Texas A&M University–Central Texas (Killeen): $3,615
- Texas A&M University–Texarkana: $4,441
- Texas A&M University–Commerce: $5,013
A student’s actual charges may vary based on the student’s classification and level of enrollment, the college the student attends within the university, the student’s specific personal circumstances, and other factors.
Demographics
Endowment
The Texas A&M University System has endowments valued at more than $16 billion; the second highest among U.S. public universities after the University of Texas System and the University of California System. Texas A&M actually has two endowments. The smaller fund is run by the Texas A&M University System, and a larger fund is part of the Texas Permanent University Fund, in which TAMU holds a one-third stake.
Land-Grant University
The Texas A&M University System is a land-grant institution, which means it has been designated to receive the benefits of the federal Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Those laws established a system of distributing proceeds from the sales of federally-owned land to support higher education institutions in the states.
The original mission of these institutions, as set forth in the first Morrill Act, was to teach agriculture, military tactics and the mechanical arts, as well as classical studies so that members of the working classes could obtain a practical education. Texas A&M seeks to honor its land-grant tradition by emphasizing affordability as a strategic goal.
Corps of Cadets
The Corps of Cadets is a student-led, military-style organization at Texas A&M. It is the oldest student organization on campus and was established with the university in 1876. Participation in the Corps of Cadets was mandatory until 1965.
The Corps of Cadets has a long tradition of preparing students for military service. Texas A&M consistently commissions more officers into the country’s military than any other school in the nation except the three service academies.
However, membership in the Corps of Cadets formally carries no military obligation. The Corps of Cadets also has programs designed to prepare cadets for leadership in the corporate sector or civilian government.
FAQ
Historically it stood for “Agricultural and Mechanical,” because the university was established in 1875 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. The university’s mission now goes beyond agricultural and mechanical education and the “A&M” officially no longer stands for anything. However, the university has retained that name in deference to the institution’s history and traditions.
The Texas A&M System was officially established in 1948, though the oldest member institutions had already existed for more than 70 years.
No. Students must contact directly the preferred A&M System institution’s admission office.
