TAMIU Ranked in State’s Top 20 for Return on Investment

A new ranking shows Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) return on investment (ROI) 10 years after graduation earns it a spot in the state’s top 20 for ROI.

The 2025 ranking of 14th in the State comes from research conducted by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce on 4,600 colleges that looked at average attendance cost and median ROI 10 years after enrollment.

For TAMIU, with an average attendance of $16,000, researchers found that the 10-year ROI is $193,400, placing it at 14th among the top 20 in Texas...well above state and national medians.

In Texas, TAMIU outranked the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Texas State University, Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and Texas A&M University-Kingsville. 

The report also provided a longer timeline that examined ROI at other intervals, including 15, 20, 30, and 40 years after enrollment.  At the 40-year interval, TAMIU graduates showed a potential ROI of $1.6 million.

TAMIU president Dr. Christopher Maynard noted that this ranking underscores the University’s longstanding focus on affordability and a measurable return on the value of a TAMIU degree.

“We have long committed to an institutional focus to always be accessible, affordable, and exceptional. This ranking affirms this. As students and their parents consider their higher education options, research findings like this provide valuable data that should be considered.

“TAMIU is a nationally ranked, regionally focused University with a rich and proud history of delivering transformative educational opportunities that change the trajectory of its students, their families, South Texas and beyond. A gifted and global faculty leads 55-degree programs at bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels...all on a dynamic 300-acre residential campus that is home to over 9,100 students from around the world,” Maynard said.  

Center on Education and the Workforce researchers gathered data on attendance costs and post-college earnings to estimate the financial return of attending each U.S. higher education institution surveyed. Their findings helped them to estimate total income 10 years after college enrollment by subtracting the total attendance cost, assuming an average of five years to degree completion.

Attendance costs considered included tuition, fees and living expenses and took federal financial aid into account. Tuition data reflected in-state tuition for public universities, but out-of-state students often pay more.

Researchers noted that data shows that public schools in Texas typically yield a higher ROI for in-state residents when compared to private schools within the state and universities in general across the nation.

The authors found those attending a public school in Texas will see a median ROI of $184,770 after 10 years. Private school attendees may see a median of $127,000. The national median is $149,000.

They indicated public schools often have a higher initial ROI because they are more affordable than private schools. Four of the top 20 schools in Texas ranked by 10-year ROI were private universities. 

Details are available online in a searchable interactive table at: https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/roi2025/#data

TAMIU was recently named the recipient of an unrestricted $38 million gift from Yield Giving, the primary philanthropic vehicle for MacKenzie Scott, philanthropist and author. It is the second largest gift in TAMIU’s now 55-year history. The first, also a gift from Scott, was for $40 million and was provided in 2020.

At the announcement of the gift, TAMIU president Maynard said it will impact student success.

“This is an investment in our future. The earnings from this investment will impact the success of TAMIU students for generations to come. It is also a remarkable catalyst that allows us the privilege of working with our partners to maximize and extend their support to always secure what truly benefits our students and drives their success,” Maynard said.

Registration for the Spring semester is now underway.  Classes begin Tuesday, January 20, 2026, with late registration ongoing through Monday, January 26.

Learn more about registration at the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration. 

For more, contact the Office of the University Registrar at 956.326.2250, email registrar@tamiu.edu, or visit offices in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, Suite 121.

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