HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Texas at Austin vs Texas A & M University

Texas A & M University clears +$2.54M in 30-year net value, University of Texas at Austin +$2.51M — both pay off, Texas A & M University by +$30K.

Two Texas public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

30-year net value
+$2.51M
Total cost of attendance
$103,256
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$68,869
Breaks even by age
33

Texas A & M University · College Station, TX

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.54M
Total cost of attendance
$103,980
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$69,250
Breaks even by age
33
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Texas at Austin vs Texas A & M University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/ut-austin-vs-texas-am

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Questions

Is University of Texas at Austin or Texas A & M University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, Texas A & M University clears +$2.54M and University of Texas at Austin +$2.51M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Texas A & M University comes out ahead by +$30K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Texas A & M University pay off than University of Texas at Austin?
About +$30K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.54M vs +$2.51M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Texas at Austin?
+$2.51M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $103,256, median earnings ten years out $68,869, breaking even around age 33. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.