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Posted: 8/20/20

TAMIU Gets National Nod for Having Second-Lowest Student Debt

 

Dr. Pablo Arenaz
Dr. Pablo Arenaz, President  

As Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) students get ready to head back to school this Monday, they can do so knowing that their University  is ranked second in the nation for having the lowest student debt, on average $3,477 in loans,  and first in Texas.

The ranking is part of a LendEDU study, the annual Student Loan Debt by School by State Report, an in-depth analysis of the most recent student loan debt figures at 475 U.S. Colleges and Universities.  It was featured in a story distributed by Refinery29.com, an American multinational digital media and entertainment website focused on young women, owned by Vice Media, and distributed worldwide. 

Ahead of TAMIU in first place is Bryn Athyn College of the New Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, where students leave with an average debt of $2,825. The private Christian college has an undergraduate enrollment hovering near 300. 

TAMIU, enrolling over 8,500 students, is a public, state-supported regional university and offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. It’s celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.

TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said the latest accolade affirming low cost and excellence truly underscores the University’s mission and commitment to its students. 

“We were founded to offer an accessible and outstanding education to a population that was once forgotten.  Our mission to serve our students and make sure that they are not forgotten and that the American dream of higher education is available to them continues. Today’s news is a special affirmation to all the hard-working faculty and staff at TAMIU who have continued to serve our students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – making sure that our mission, like our campus’ Trailblazer Tower, rings true every day,”  Dr. Arenaz said. 

LendEDU’s analysis looks at the amount in loans (both federal and private, but not including parent loans) taken out by undergraduate students at four-year institutions who received a bachelor’s degree. 

The data analyzed comes from the annual Peterson’s financial aid dataset -- self-reported student loan debt numbers and other financial aid figures from four-year public and private higher education institutions that complete the voluntary Petersons survey. 

While TAMIU ranks first in the study, other ranked Texas schools included #28 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ($16,662) and  #327 Prairie View A&M University ($32,960). The study also looks at the best and worst states for student debt, singling out Utah and Connecticut respectively for these distinctions.

TAMIU  also ranks 5th in the nation among the 100 Most Affordable Public Schools with the Highest Return on Investment (ROI), according to ranking authority Great Value Colleges. U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 Edition of its popular Best Colleges guide ranks TAMIU as the second highest-ranked Texas public university in its Best Regional Universities West category and the highest-ranked regional campus of the Texas A&M University System.

Most recently, TAMIU earned a top tier ranking for its COVID-19 Pandemic response. The 2020 Educate to Career College ranking placed TAMIU in Tier I for colleges and universities that have responded to the pandemic in ways that benefit and protect students, especially in terms of available online learning resources. Some 1200 colleges across the nation were reviewed.

Registration for Fall 2020 is underway through Aug. 28, 2020. Fall classes begin Monday, Aug. 24, 2020.

TAMIUFlex, Hybrid, Face-to-Face and online courses will all have the same low tuition rates. An online catalog containing a list of all undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs is at http://catalog.tamiu.edu

The University’s online COVID-19 Response Center is updated regularly and includes information on office schedules and services, an expansive FAQ, quick links, student resources, official information resources and much more. 

To learn more about TAMIU’s Back Together Plan for Fall, go to  https://www.tamiu.edu/coronavirus/student-faqs.shtml