Texas A&M University

Overview

Texas A&M University can be found in College Station, Texas, and it currently has the largest number of alumni in the state—more than 500,000 students as of 2020. Also known as A&M, the institution is a public research university with R1 Carnegie classification. As the only university in Texas with land, sea, and space grant designation, A&M receives research funding from organizations like the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Health Institutes. Furthermore, in 2001, Texas A&M officially became a member of the Association of American Universities, which is a highly selective organization of research-oriented universities in America.

Texas A&M has one of the largest campuses in the United States. Its main campus in College Station spans 5,200 acres. Aside from the main campus, Texas A&M has two other campuses in the city of Galveston and in Doha, Qatar. The main campus houses the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum along with five other physical libraries spread at the College Station campus. All in all, Texas A&M libraries have a collection of around five million volumes in print.

When it comes to academic offerings, Texas A&M encourages students to explore different areas of study. The main campus offers a wide range of programs, from aerospace engineering, geosciences, architecture, dentistry, to law, and more. The Galveston campus has liberal arts studies and maritime courses, such as marine engineering, ocean engineering, marine biology, and others. Meanwhile, students at Texas A&M at Qatar can choose from petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and more.

Looking at its history, Texas A&M was established in 1871 as the first institution for higher education in the state of Texas. Originally called the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, the institution was officially renamed Texas A&M University in 1963 with the letters “A” and “M” standing for “Agricultural and Mechanical” in honor of its previous name. With its university status, Texas A&M rose to become one of0 the state’s—and the country’s—leading research universities.

Over the years, Texas A&M has made significant breakthroughs, such as the first cloning of domestic animals in 2011, and completing the first conversion of a nuclear research reactor in 2006. Texas A&M also took part in the completion of the largest optical telescope, the Giant Magellan Telescope, in Chile.