A&M Ranks First Among State’s Public Universities In Graduates’ Projected Education ROI

Texas A&M University graduates top their counterparts at all public universities in Texas in earnings when figured on a projected 20-year return on investment (ROI), according to the 2016 PayScale College ROI Report, which its preparers say show the “best value colleges.”

The new report by the on-line organization that focuses on affordability combined with high quality in higher education shows Texas A&M graduates to have a projected 20-year net ROI of $628,000 based on a total four-year in-state education cost of $85,700.

In addition to again ranking first in Texas among public institutions, Texas A&M’s 2016 results are even better than in PayScale’s comparable tabulations in 2014. Texas A&M was then credited with a 20-year net ROI of $566,700 based on an overall cost-of-education figure of $91,040.

Texas A&M’s ROI also is the best in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and places in the upper echelons nationally, PayScale tabulations show.

In Texas, only Rice University has a higher ROI—$701,000—but with a four-year cost of $243,000, according to PayScale.

“No matter how you look at it, college is an investment—both of time and money,” note preparers of the PayScale report. “The benefit to this particular investment is that there are returns far beyond the obvious monetary ones. However, the financial aspects of evaluating college return on investment cannot be ignored. And, some schools are simply doing a better job of setting their alumni up for success in the job market.”