A&M Ranks 1st In Texas For Graduates' Salaries

Via Texas A&M University Newswire

Texas A&M University ranks tops among Texas public universities on the basis of median salaries for graduates early in their careers and what they are earning midway during their time on the job, according to the latest national survey by PayScale, a Seattle-based compensation data firm.

The 2016-17 PayScale salary report shows Texas A&M graduates to have median early-career salaries of $54,400 and mid-career annual earnings of $99,700.

Those figures place Texas A&M among the top 10 comprehensive public universities nationally. Most of the other institutions in the nation that outranked Texas A&M in the broad-based survey are private colleges or institutions in technical or otherwise highly specialized areas, according to an analysis of the findings.

“Texas A&M graduates fare incredibly well in the marketplace because we attract high-caliber students that apply themselves effectively while here and take full advantage of transformational learning experiences such as study abroad, capstone projects, internships and entrepreneurial endeavors to name a few,” noted Texas A&M President Michael K. Young.

A PayScale survey published earlier this year showed Texas A&M graduates topping their counterparts at all Texas public institutions in earnings when figured on a projected 20-year return on investment (ROI) basis — what graduates earn in their careers compared to their college costs. That report showed 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 PayScale’s comparable tabulations in 2014, Texas A&M was credited with a 20-year net ROI of $566,700 based on an overall cost-of-education figure of $91,040.

“No matter how you look at it, college is an investment—both of time and money,” noted preparers of that 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. In Texas, only Rice University ranks higher in graduated earning or ROI in the PayScale studies.”

In addition to the PayScale studies, Texas A&M has been cited recently by various national publications that rank colleges for quality of education and overall value. U.S. News & World Report ranks Texas A&M second among all public universities in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category of its 2017 “Best Colleges” guidebook, and Money magazine recently rated it fourth among publics in its “Best Colleges For Your Money” report. Washington Monthly ranked Texas A&M sixth among all U.S. universities in its ratings based in large part on contributions to the public interest through endeavors such as service programs and research that drives economic growth.