We are going to go through it completely. Not so that you finish reading this feeling that you have already decided. So that you come to the family conversation with a clearer map of one of the three pieces you need: what this university is, in concrete terms.
Who this school is, in a nutshell
Texas A&M University-Kingsville is a four-year public university located in Kingsville, Texas, in Kleberg County. The area around the campus is a town, away from large urban areas. If your family does not live nearby, this genuinely matters: work out separately where your child would live and how they would get around, because this fact only identifies the school’s location, not yours or the trip your child would have to make.
It is an institution that offers programs through the doctoral level—the highest level it reports—and that a national classification system (Carnegie) places among universities with high research activity. That sounds impressive, and it is as an institutional fact, but it does not tell you whether your child’s specific major connects with that level of research or how close a first-year student would be to that world. Verify the specific program.
Something worth clarifying right away: Texas A&M-Kingsville does not have any of three special designations that exist in the federal system—it is not a historically Black university, a tribal university, or a “land-grant” institution. These are three different labels with different histories, and among the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of them. Kingsville’s absence from that list says nothing about which communities it serves or how your child would feel there. Ask directly: what student organizations and cultural centers exist today and, better yet, talk with someone who already studies there.
One technical fact that does matter financially: if your child comes here after studying at another institution, this university is classified, within its historical profile, as one that receives many transfer students. That does not tell you how many of their credits will count or which ones will be lost along the way. Request that transfer-credit evaluation in writing before enrolling.
The whole classroom: who shares classes with your child
Here is a number worth stating plainly, because it is among the highest you will find at any selective public university in the country: out of every 100 undergraduates at Kingsville, 77 were reported as Hispanic or Latino. Among the 519 selective four-year public schools that make up this analysis’s comparison group, this proportion is among the highest. Nine out of ten of those schools report an equal or lower proportion.
Put simply: if your child is Latino, being Latino here would not be the exception. It would, literally, be the whole classroom.
But I want to be honest with you about what this number does not say. Counting how many Latino students there are is not the same as documenting the support they receive. This figure does not tell you whether counseling is available in Spanish, whether targeted tutoring is offered, or whether those students actually complete their degrees. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific major that interests your child.
Other outlines of this community: the campus is almost evenly divided between men and women (51 out of every 100 are women). Adults ages 25 to 64 are a minority, only 10 out of every 100—this is still, for the most part, a campus of young people arriving from high school. And nearly all first-time students, 99 out of every 100, reported a Texas address when applying. If your family comes from out of state, your child would be among the few.
As for size: the university had 6,562 students enrolled in the most recent official count, which places it in the midsize range—neither one of the smallest nor one of the largest—and in the middle of the table compared with its peers. But that large number includes graduate students: 5,187 are undergraduates, and 1,375 are already pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees. If your child is entering to pursue an undergraduate degree, the number that matters to them is 5,187, not the total.
How the academic year works and which credits they recognize
The calendar here follows traditional semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Nothing unusual—it is the rhythm you are probably already familiar with.
Regarding prior credits: the university reports that 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 through a formal “dual enrollment” program.
Here is the hard truth, without embellishment: accepting AP does not mean the university will award credit for every exam your child takes. We do not know what scores it requires or how many credits it awards, or whether those credits actually count toward the major your child chose. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for savings in time or money until you have it in hand.
As for the range of majors: in the most recent year reported, the university awarded 895 bachelor’s degrees across 23 program families. Engineering awarded the most, with 24 out of every 100 degrees—no other field surpasses it, but it does not account for the majority either. The offerings are broad, not concentrated in a single field. Keep in mind: 23 active program families do not mean 23 exact majors, nor do they guarantee that the specific program your child wants is available there under that name. Verify it.
Regarding class size: the university reports 16 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. That figure is in the middle compared with its peers—neither among the lowest nor among the highest. But this ratio does not tell you the actual size of a first-year classroom. It is an institutional calculation, not a snapshot of the classroom.
Paths and opportunities the institution reports
Kingsville reports that the following are available: study-abroad programs, cocurricular undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends, developmental education with and without credit, and pathways for preparing for teacher certification, including state approval for initial teacher certification.
This is a list of reported possibilities, not a promise that each one will fit what your child is looking for. If something on this list particularly interests them—studying abroad, for example, or the teacher pathway—it is worth asking about it by name and in writing before building a plan around that possibility.
Getting in: what they require and how likely a yes is
Let us start with what is required. Of nine possible admission considerations, Kingsville marks two as required: the high school record and, when applicable, the English-proficiency exam. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether that exam applies to them and what would exempt them. This is one of those things that people discover late and that complicates a schedule.
Other pieces are not required but are considered if you submit them: high school GPA, class rank, a personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or competency exam, and work experience. The undergraduate application fee is $40.
Now, the number that probably matters most to you: how likely are they to say yes? In the most recent cycle, Kingsville received 7,915 first-time applications and offered admission to 7,305 applicants. That is 92 out of every 100 applicants admitted. Compared with 519 similar selective public schools, it is on the more accessible side—seven out of ten of those schools accept an equal or lower percentage.
Put simply: this is one of the universities that does admit applicants. Even so, 610 applicants did not receive an offer, so submitting a complete application on time still matters.
But here is a truth you cannot skip: being likely to get in does not make what comes next easy. That 92% does not tell you how much it will cost, how many students complete their degrees, or whether the specific program your child wants has its own stricter screening process. Those three questions must be asked separately, and we will address them later in this same article.
One interesting fact worth knowing: out of every 100 admitted students, only 16 enrolled. In other words, of every 6 who receive a yes, roughly one actually attends. The others had a place here and chose something else. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not explain why each person made the decision they made. What I will tell you is this: wait for your own letter showing the net price, which is what the year would actually cost your family. With that number in hand, decide whether this school stays on the list, rather than basing the decision on what other families chose.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. Almost no one submits them—only 1 out of every 100 enrolled students submitted SAT results, a sample so small—fewer than 30 people—that any reported score range you see should not be treated as an actual university threshold.
When someone leaves: transfers
Here is a significant figure: among the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 29 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing their degree at Kingsville. Compared with similar schools, that proportion is on the high side. The report does not explain the reason for any of those students, and the fact that many left does not mean they did poorly there.
This matters for a very specific reason: a student who transfers is not counted as a graduate of this school, even if they complete their degree elsewhere. Keep this fact in mind when we reach the graduation rates later—these numbers cannot be read in isolation.
The listed price and the price actually paid
At Texas A & M University-Kingsville, among 397 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $8,028. Among 161 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $11,410; among 80 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $17,903. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (397 students) and the highest-income band (80 students) is $9,875. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $10,474.
The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for students with low income, the average net price was $8,028 in the 2022-23 academic year.
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 grants or scholarships, 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.
How it is paid for: grants, Pell, and loans
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Kingsville, 80 received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. The average amount of that aid, counting only recipients, was $9,813 per year.
The federal Pell Grant—for families with low incomes—went to 58 out of every 100 students. That is a high proportion: requesting need-based aid here is not unusual or limited to a small group; it is more than half of the student body. Do not hesitate to ask which documents are required and when they are due.
Now for the other side of the equation—loans—stated plainly: 46 out of every 100 undergraduates received a federal loan in the most recent year reported. Among those who borrowed, the average amount each received was $6,936 that year. Compared with similar universities, this proportion of students with loans is on the high side.
Financing an education with debt is common here, not the exception. And if your child borrowed a similar amount each year over the four years in the plan, the total would reach approximately $27,744, not including interest. That number should be considered before the first signature, not at the end of the road. And keep in mind: that figure includes only federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit cards. The actual debt someone has upon graduating would add up across several years, and that specific figure is not in this report.
The university also offers payment mechanisms: a guaranteed-tuition plan, an installment-payment plan, and participation in a “Promise”-type program. It is worth asking the financial aid office directly about these.
Living there, eating there, and other parts of daily life
Kingsville does have its own housing, and it does not require all first-time students to live there—that provides flexibility, although it does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. The reported maximum capacity of institutional housing is 1,508 students. Having the option does not guarantee an available bed: request the annual rate, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list, all in writing.
Meal plans are also available, although the number of meals per week varies depending on the plan selected.
Regarding ROTC: the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. If your child is interested in the Navy or Air Force, this report does not confirm them—not confirmed does not mean impossible; it simply means you need to ask directly.
In athletics, the university competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported programs in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. This does not tell you which division each sport competes in or whether a scholarship is available—ask each sport’s coach directly and in writing.
Kingsville offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 5 out of every 100 undergraduates take all their classes that way—the vast majority, 95 out of every 100, take at least one class in person.
The library has hired staff, spending above the federal threshold of $100,000, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary lending.
As for general support, the university reports: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, job-placement services after graduation, on-campus child care, a point of contact for veterans and military members, a student veterans’ organization, and a webpage dedicated to services for people with disabilities.
Who stays and who finishes: the numbers that carry the most weight
This is probably the most important section of the article. Let us take it slowly.
Second-year retention: of the full-time cohort that entered in 2022, 67 out of every 100 were still enrolled here or had already completed their degree one year later. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is near the bottom—seven out of ten similar universities retain a higher proportion. The report does not separate how many of that 67% had already graduated from how many were simply still studying, nor does it explain what happened to the rest.
Graduation: among full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017, 46 out of every 100 had earned a degree from this school six years later. At four years—the timeframe most families budget for—the figure is only 26 out of every 100, twenty points lower. Compared with similar schools, it ranks below the midpoint of the group.
Put plainly: after six years, it is nearly an even split between those who graduated from here and those who did not. The report counts outcomes; it does not explain the reasons behind each story. What you can do is ask, before deciding, what specific support the school offers to help students finish on time and how long the specific major that interests your child typically takes—because every additional semester has a cost that does not appear in any brochure.
At eight years: following a broader cohort that entered in 2015-16, including part-time students and students with prior college experience, 53 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution within eight years. Among students with Pell Grants, the figure was 52 out of every 100—only 4 points below the group without Pell, a small difference worth noting. There are also 19 out of every 100 whose enrollment status is reported as “unknown”—that does not mean they stopped studying somewhere; it only means the system was unable to track their status.
And here I want to return to something I mentioned earlier: remember that a student who transfers to another school and completes their degree there is not counted as a Kingsville graduate. These graduation figures measure only credentials earned here. They do not measure the person’s failure or success—they measure where the diploma came from.
What you already know and what remains yours to decide
You now have a fairly complete picture of what Texas A&M University-Kingsville is in concrete terms: a public, midsize, predominantly Latino university with accessible admission, a moderate listed price compared with its peers, generous financial aid for families with low incomes, and graduation outcomes that are, honestly, below the median of its comparable universities.
None of these numbers decides anything on its own. And none tells you what will happen to your child in particular—institutional averages do not predict one person’s experience.
What is up to you, as the adult helping guide this decision, is to combine this piece with the other two that belong to your family: what your child wants to study and what they have built so far, and what you are able and willing to pay. You now know this piece—the university—in depth. Only your family has the other two.
Source note: the information in this article comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, with data corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, depending on the indicator. Best College Aid does not represent Texas A&M University-Kingsville or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.