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Washington Monthly Ranks Texas A&M Among Nation’s Best Colleges

The publication lists Texas A&M No. 4 among publics and No. 12 overall.
By Keith Randall, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications September 1, 2020

Texas A&M University is ranked No. 12 overall and No. 4 among public universities in the United States by Washington Monthly magazine in its annual college rankings.

Texas A&M is the only school in Texas ranked among the top 70 in the publication’s national rankings and is the highest ranked Southeastern Conference school. The University of Florida is listed at No. 15 overall.

Also, Texas A&M is ranked No. 2 among Southern schools in the publication’s listing of “Best Bang For The Buck” category of how well a college helps non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

In addition, Texas A&M is 12th in the nation on the Washington Monthly list because it enrolls and graduates enormous numbers of first-generation and Pell grant students as well as science and engineering PhDs. Last year, the school graduated more Pell Grant recipients than Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton combined.

“We are delighted by this recognition from Washington Monthly because it is a testament to the extraordinary breadth of educational opportunities available at Texas A&M,” said Texas A&M President Michael K. Young. “We not only train highly-skilled Ph.D.s in science and engineering, but we also ensure that a high-quality education is accessible to first-generation students and those who rely on Pell Grants. In uncertain times, these rankings highlight our commitment to providing the very best education to students of all abilities and from every socioeconomic background. “

The report’s editors note that the methodology used gives weight to institutions that provide more opportunities and fewer barriers for students.

Washington Monthly said it uses a detailed methodology system and “unlike other rankings from publications, we rank them on how well they serve the country as a whole — by recruiting and graduating non-wealthy students, encouraging student activism, and producing research and technologies that create high-paying jobs and address threats like climate change,” it said.

With almost 70,000 students, Texas A&M is one of the nation’s five largest universities, and approximately 25 percent of its entering freshman class is traditionally made up of students who are the first in their families to attend college. It is also the top university producer of officers for the military. Only the service academies produce more.

Research conducted at Texas A&M is approaching the $1 billion mark, the highest among all Texas schools.

Media contact: Keith Randall, keith-randall@tamu.edu

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