Enrollment: 164
Average GMAT: 643.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 560-720
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.39
Rolling Admission: No
School Type: Public
Average Age: 27.00
Average Work Experience (months): 60
Student Faculty Ratio: 8:1

Part Time Program: No
Evening Program: No
Executive MBA Program Offered: Yes
Total Faculty: 19

Average Starting Salary: $86,700.00
Hired Consulting: 23.2%
Hired Finance: 32.1%
Hired Operations: 8.9%
Hired Marketing: 16.1%

Out-of-State Tuition: $17,793.00
In-State Tuition: $7,677.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 02/01
Students Receiving Some Aid: 75%
Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $17,281.00

Greatest Opportunity for Minority Students
Best Business Schools

Students Say - Academics
The top-ranked Mays Business School at Texas A&M Universityâ€"College Station combines a one-size-fits-all approach with specialization options to provide its small student body a cost-effective and streamlined, yet flexible, MBA degree. This inexpensive public school offers one of the 10 quickest returns on investment, according to BusinessWeek. Financial Times ranked it the fourth best value in U.S. graduate business education. One MBA agrees, "The education you receive is top notch for the cost."

All Mays students complete a 49-credit core sequence over a 16-month period. This core covers accounting, business communication, finance, global management, information and operations management, marketing, negotiations, and management, all with "an emphasis on character and ethics, a very appealing aspect of the program." This mandatory curriculum that combines "business competencies, communications, international issues, teamwork, and ethics" means all Mays MBAs "are prepared to be strategic thinkers, effective communicators, and accountable team members and leaders in today's global marketplace," according to the school.

Those seeking specialization are welcome to remain at Mays for an additional semester, participate in study abroad, or undertake other enrichment opportunities. The school offers specialization in 11 predefined areas (students speak most highly of accounting, marketing, management, and real estate). MBAs may also design specializations of their own. Other unique aspects of the program include the Technology Transfer Challenge, in which MBAs compete to develop commercial applications for promising new technologies. The school writes, "The Challenge's design is based on state-of-the-art knowledge management theory, demonstrating how knowledge management principles can be used to help evaluate the potential of patents and other raw technologies. It demands a level of creativity not possible with traditional case competitions."

Students here love the "low cost and excellent financial aid," as well as the school's vision. One MBA exclaims, "The school continues to replace weak faculty in an effort to improve. And the program is definitely improving, with great faculty leading the way." They also appreciate that it's a "conservative, strong program with high starting salaries and great recruiting companies." Naturally, though, a few see its small size as a drawback. One such student opines, "The Mays MBA Class of 2006 is only 70 students strong. If the school is ever to be mentioned amongst Harvard, Texas, and Michigan, then it will have to expand to upwards of 500 students."

Students Say - Admissions
With a limited number of slots available, the Mays MBA program can keep admissions very competitive. Successful applicants typically have at least two years of post-college, full-time work experience, good GMAT scores ("quant and verbal sections must have scores at least at the 50th percentile for consideration," notes the Admissions Office), and evidence of leadership, management experience, and professional potential. All applicants must submit a current resume, three letters of recommendation from professional sources, and application essays. International students must provide TOEFL scores (minimum 600 on the paper-and-pencil test, 250 on the computerized test for admission). A&M "aggressively seeks to enhance diversity on all levels in the program, and has programs in place to recruit all students who will bring diversity to our program."

Students Say - Campus Life
Although "school requires much of a student's time" at A&M, "the lifestyle in College Station is still very enjoyable." Furthermore, "those who wish to participate in social activities will not be disappointed," MBAs write, since "there are weekly events organized, as well as plenty of hot spots to frequent." It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows anything at all about the school that "football is the major activity" and that A&M is "big into traditions, and it really enhances the life here." Overall, MBAs here agree that "Texas A&M is very conservative and an excellent environment to learn quality business practices."

With a substantial international population, Mays' student body is "very diverse in ethnicity, education, and experience," although not so much in gender. MBAs tend to be "boisterous in class, friendly and intelligent, [and] proactive in regards to career advancement and networking." All "have some special skills which make them unique. If one is good in math, another is very good in communications." One MBA observes, "Fellow students are like good coworkers at the office: During class and study time they work hard, but after class, they know how to have fun."

Students Say - Careers
A&M's legendary alumni network works its magic for MBAs. Students exploit this valuable asset through publications, a website, newsletters, and on- and off-campus events. The Mays Graduate Business Career Services (GBCS) Office also provides one-on-one counseling, online assessment tools, and frequent workshops on crafting resumes and cover letters, networking, interviewing, and negotiating your salary.

Hundreds of companies recruit on the College Station campus each yearâ€"just how many come for the purpose of interviewing MBAs is less clear. What counts is that the results are pretty impressive. Employers of Mays MBAs include BP, CattleSoft, Chevron Phillips, China National Petroleum Corp, CIA, Citibank, Citigroup, DuPont, Eagle Pass Winery, the Federal Reserve Bank, First Houston Mortgage, Ford, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson- Lancaster & Associates, Procter & Gamble, Smith Barney, Solutions Inc., Sovico Trading Ltd., USAA, Wal-Mart, and World Savings. In 2007, the mean starting salary of a Mays MBA was $87,475. One student sums up, "One of the greatest facets of a Texas A&M education is the high salary upon graduation with relatively low tuition costs."

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