I am not going to tell you whether this university is "good" or "bad." That is not in the data, and it is not my job to decide that for you. My job is to put in front of you what we do know, with all its precision and all its limitations, so you can decide with your eyes open.
What Kind of University It Is and Where It Stands
Let's start with the basics: Texas A&M University-Commerce is a public four-year university. The federal system that classifies US colleges and universities places it among institutions that offer doctoral and professional degrees. That does not mean your child will take classes with doctoral researchers during the first semester; it means that, as an institution, it offers the highest degree level there is, the doctorate, in addition to bachelor's and master's degrees.
Here is something worth emphasizing right away, because it will come up throughout this article: an institutional classification describes the entire school, not the specific experience your child will have in a particular major. This is the first mental habit that will help you read any college profile without misleading yourself or becoming more alarmed than necessary.
According to 2019-20 data, this is a medium-sized, primarily residential university: between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half studied full time. In a separate 2021 analysis, it is also classified among institutions that enroll many transfer students. If your child is thinking of coming here after studying at another school, this is a meaningful signal: before enrolling, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. The label "enrolls many transfer students" does not tell you how many credits each person brings in or how many are lost along the way.
Geographically, Texas A&M University-Commerce is in Commerce, Texas, in Hunt County. The area around the campus is a town, away from major urban areas. If your family does not live nearby, this has a practical consequence that you need to calculate: where your child would live and how your child would get around. The data only identifies the school's location; it does not tell you how long the trip from your home takes or how far away everything else is.
One more thing before we continue: this university has none of the three specific designations tracked by the government—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this census, 138 have at least one of these designations. The fact that Texas A&M University-Commerce does not appear on that list says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. You have to ask about that directly by speaking with someone who already attends the campus.
The Actual Size of This Community
Here is one of the facts you should remember most: 26 out of every 100 undergraduate students at Texas A&M University-Commerce are Hispanic or Latino. That is one in four, or more. Compared with 519 selective-admission public four-year schools in this same census, that share places it in the top quarter: three out of every four similar schools reported an equal or lower figure.
Put simply: if your child is Latino, your child would not be the exception on this campus. Your child would be part of a large community.
But I want to be honest with you in the same paragraph where I give you the good news, because that is the discipline behind this entire article: a high percentage of Latino students is not the same as support for Latino students. This number counts how many there are. It does not tell you whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, whether targeted tutoring is available, or whether those students complete their degrees at the same rate as others. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific major that interests your child. Find out by asking.
Other features of this community: 32 out of every 100 undergraduate students are between 25 and 64 years old—a university with a substantial number of adults returning to school; women outnumber men, at 60 out of every 100; and 96 out of every 100 entering students reported living in Texas when they applied. Above all, it is a university that serves its own state.
In terms of total size, Texas A&M University-Commerce reported 12,013 enrolled students in the official fall count. It is a large school, in the government's classification band of 10,000 to 19,999 students. Compared with similar schools, its size is among the most common: neither one of the giants nor one of the small schools.
But that large number hides something important: it is divided between 8,318 undergraduate students and 3,695 graduate students. A substantial portion of the school consists of people who have already completed a degree and returned for more education. If your child is entering a bachelor's program, the number that really matters is 8,318, not the total of 12,013. The total is inflated by the inclusion of graduate students.
How the Academic Year Works and How Broad the Offerings Are
Texas A&M University-Commerce organizes its year into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It is the standard calendar you probably already know.
It accepts credit for AP exams and military training. It did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program. This is useful, but there is a real caveat: accepting AP does not mean the university awards credit for every exam or every score. We do not know what scores it requires or whether those credits will count toward your child's specific major. Request a written equivalency evaluation before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, this university awarded 1,809 bachelor's degrees across 24 academic program families. The largest family, multidisciplinary studies, accounted for 20 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—no other field surpassed it, but it does not dominate the school either. Compared with 514 similar schools, Texas A&M University-Commerce falls within the quarter offering the greatest variety of fields represented among its bachelor's programs.
It is a broad range of offerings, spread across many fields without any single one accounting for the bulk of them. But 24 families represented in the report do not mean 24 majors are guaranteed to be available today: one family groups several programs, and a row may report no degrees for that year. Check the exact program that interests your child, using its full name, in the current catalog.
Regarding class size, the reported ratio is 19 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is a middle-range figure on the overall scale, but compared specifically with schools of the same type, it falls within the highest quarter. Both interpretations are true at the same time, which is why I am giving them to you separately. What this number does not tell you is the actual size of a first-year classroom; it is an institution-level ratio, not a classroom measure.
The Academic Pathways Reported by the School
Texas A&M University-Commerce reports offering study abroad, a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends, teacher-certification preparation below the undergraduate level, the ability to complete preparation there in certain teacher-specialization fields, and state approval for initial teacher certification. If your child's major is connected to teaching or if your child needs a nontraditional schedule, these are concrete options worth asking about in detail.
What It Takes to Get In: The Admissions Policy and What Actually Happens
There is a tension here that is worth understanding clearly, because it has two sides that are both true at the same time.
First, the formal policy: Texas A&M University-Commerce does not have open admissions. It reviews specific items before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks four as required: the high school transcript, the high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory program required by the university, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Beyond those, only one additional item is considered if submitted: your child's rank in the graduating class.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, now is the time to ask whether the English exam applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption. This is one of those things people discover late if they do not ask early enough.
The undergraduate application fee is $0. That is one less barrier.
Now, what actually happened during the 2023 cycle: out of 8,231 first-time applicants, the university offered admission to 7,621. That is 93 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar public schools, that rate places it on the more accessible side: seven out of every ten schools in the group, or more, accepted an equal or lower percentage. In plain numerical terms, it is among the schools that do say yes.
Even so, 610 of those 8,231 people did not receive an offer. A high probability of admission does not make the process automatic: the application must be complete and submitted on time.
And here is the part almost no one looks at: out of every 100 admitted students, only 15 ultimately enrolled here in fall 2023. The other 85 had an acceptance in hand and did not take it. Compared with similar schools, this share is among the lower ones: at seven out of every ten schools in the group, or more, a larger share of admitted students enrolls.
Do not read that as a mark against the school. The record does not say why each person made that decision, and what other families did does not predict what will happen with yours. What you need to do is wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost—before deciding whether this university stays on the list.
Regarding tests, the SAT and ACT are not required here. Among the first-time students who enrolled, 23 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score, and among them, the middle half scored between 480 and 590 in reading and writing and between 460 and 580 in math. Those ranges describe students who had already enrolled and submitted scores, not all applicants; 480 is not a required minimum, nor is 590 a guarantee of anything.
About Students Who Transfer In
If your child is thinking of enrolling here after studying somewhere else, this figure is useful: in fall 2023, 1,108 undergraduate students arrived at this university for the first time after previously attending another institution. That is a large incoming transfer group.
But students also transfer out: among the cohort that entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 26 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing a degree here. Compared with similar schools, that transfer-out share is among the common ones, slightly above the midpoint of the group. Keep something important in mind for later in this article: a student who transfers and graduates from another university is not counted as a Texas A&M University-Commerce graduate in the official graduation figures, even if the student successfully completes a degree elsewhere.
The Published Price and What Students Actually Pay
At Texas A & M University-Commerce, among 234 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and paid the in-state or in-district rate and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $8,709. Among 128 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $11,193; among 72 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $20,442. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (234 students) and the highest-income band (72 students) is $11,733. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $11,902.
The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for students with low income, the average net price was $8,709 in academic year 2022-23.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Financial Aid and Loans: Separating the Columns
At Texas A&M University-Commerce, 70 out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students received some form of aid that does not have to be repaid—a grant or scholarship—with an annual average of $9,007 among recipients. In addition, 41 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for low-income families.
Here is a common source of confusion worth clearing up right away: the percentage showing who received aid and the average showing how much they received do not share the same denominator. One is calculated across all students; the other, only across those who received something. They should not be multiplied by each other.
Regarding loans, 38 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in 2022-23, with an average of $7,489 among those who borrowed. Compared with similar schools, this share is among the common ones, near the middle of the group.
This figure describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow depends on your child's own financial-aid letter, which arrives after admission. And that average of $7,489 covers only one year and only federal loans in the student's name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit-card debt, nor does it represent the total debt someone has upon graduating after several years.
When your aid letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: money that does not have to be repaid, money that must be repaid with interest, and money that must be earned through work. Many letters combine them in a single column so they look larger together.
The university also reports specific options for managing payment: a guaranteed-tuition plan, an installment-payment plan, and participation in a Promise-type program. It is worth asking about all three by their exact names before deciding.
Campus Life, Learning Format, and Available Support
Texas A&M University-Commerce has its own housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 2,300 students on or off campus, and meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest option. According to the university itself, no first-time, full-time student is required to live there. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed when your child needs one: request the annual rate, application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or your child would join a waiting list, all in writing.
Regarding ROTC, the only branch confirmed in writing is the Air Force. Army and Navy are not marked. Unconfirmed does not mean impossible—it means you need to ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
In athletics, the university competes in the NCAA, with membership confirmed at least in football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field. That membership belongs to the institution; it does not guarantee your child a place. If your child is interested in athletics, write directly to the coach and ask about openings, division, and whether an athletic scholarship is available.
Regarding learning format, the university offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and 33 out of every 100 undergraduate students were taking all their classes through distance education in the most recent count. Compared with similar schools, it is among those with the largest shares studying this way. But this number covers all undergraduate students together, not your child's specific major: one major may be almost entirely online while the one next to it may be almost entirely on campus.
The library operates with employed staff, has physical and digital materials, and provides interlibrary loans. The university also reports combined academic and career counseling services, employment for current students, placement services for graduates, on-campus child care, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and members of the military, a student veterans' organization, and a published services page for people with disabilities. The fact that these services exist and are reported does not tell you how many people use them or how effective they are for each student. Ask about that directly when you arrive.
The Numbers That Matter Most: How Many Students Stay and How Many Finish?
This may be the section where it is most important to proceed slowly, because these figures require the greatest care.
Of the cohort that entered as first-time, full-time students in fall 2022, 63 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. Compared with 519 similar schools, this share is among the lowest in the group: nine out of every ten similar schools retained a larger share. For part-time students, the figure falls to 35 out of every 100—but do not compare these two numbers directly with each other: they represent different groups of people with different circumstances, and one being higher than the other does not prove that the mode of study is the cause.
Regarding graduation, of the 860 students who entered full-time bachelor's programs in 2017, 395 had graduated from this university six years later. That is 46 out of every 100—almost half and half. Under the shorter four-year timeframe, the figure falls to 32 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it falls below the midpoint of the group.
I want to pause here because this is important: this count follows only students who entered for the first time and full time, and it counts as a "graduate" only someone who completes a degree at this same university. Remember what we saw earlier about transfers: a student who moves to another school and then completes a degree there does not appear as a graduate in this figure, even if the student did well. The report counts outcomes within the same institution, not the reasons behind each person's story.
There is a broader eight-year measure that follows a different cohort—2,880 students who entered between 2015 and 2016, including full-time students, part-time students, and those with prior college experience. Of them, 54 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this university as of the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 51 out of every 100, six points below the rest. And among the more narrowly defined subcohort—only first-time, full-time students—the figure falls to 43 out of every 100.
The rest of that cohort did not necessarily disappear: 19 out of every 100 had an "unknown" status in the report, meaning the system could not determine whether they were still enrolled somewhere, not that they had stopped studying. Another group is described as "had not received a degree from this institution," without the definition making it possible to know precisely how many were still enrolled at that exact time. These are real data, but with real gaps: they do not let you construct a complete story for every student, only an overall picture of the group.
None of these figures predicts what will happen to your child in particular. They are averages for entire cohorts, not an individual forecast. What you can do with them is ask the university a very specific question: what specific supports are available to help a student finish on time, and how long, on average, someone takes to complete the exact major that interests your child.
Putting the Pieces Together
We have now reviewed what the federal government knows about Texas A&M University-Commerce: a large public university in Texas, with a Latino community representing one out of every four students, accessible admissions but specific requirements that must be met, a high published price but a net price that falls considerably for low-income families, and retention and graduation outcomes below those reported by similar schools.
None of these figures, by itself, tells you whether this is the right university for your child. It tells you, with all the precision a federal report allows, what kind of ground you are standing on.
This is only one of the three pieces you need to build a complete plan. What remains is what your child wants to study and what your child has already built in order to get there.
If you are just beginning to explore, ask your child what they want to study and how far away they imagine living while doing it. If you are already building a college list, request the net price in writing before ruling out or confirming this option. If you feel that you are running late, document what you already have and find out exactly what is missing, beginning with the English exam if it applies and the equivalency of any AP credits your child brings.
It is your child's responsibility to study, decide, and take ownership of their part of the journey. It is your responsibility to understand the family's finances, help with major decisions, and not let your child carry alone a system they are only beginning to learn how to navigate. This is not about going through the process for your child. It is about going through it with your child, with your eyes open.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official data reported by Texas A&M University-Commerce to the US Department of Education's IPEDS system, primarily for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, with comparisons against a group of 519 selective-admission public four-year schools from the same census, except where a different group is indicated. Best College Aid does not represent Texas A&M University-Commerce or any government agency; this article organizes and explains existing public information.