An article from Dive Brief Texas A&M University to restrict undergrad enrollment growth following ‘massive’ increases

The public university wants to hold new undergraduate enrollment at its main campus to 15,000 a year so its infrastructure can catch up with recent growth.

Published Jan. 27, 2025 Ben Unglesbee Senior Reporter

• post
• share
• post
• print
• email
• license

An entrance to Texas A&M University, in College Station, Texas, is seen on April 3, 2015. wellesenterprises via Getty Images Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief:

• Texas A&M University is pausing undergraduate enrollment growth on its main campus following a decade of “massive” increases, President Mark Welsh III said in a campus message Thursday. 
• The plan would hold new undergraduate students at 15,000 at its flagship College Station campus for five to seven years. Texas A&M’s other campuses, as well as online and graduate programs, will be allowed to grow at modest rates.
• During the pause, Texas A&M plans to expand its infrastructure and invest in heavily used student services, Welsh said. The public university also plans to spend $3 million annually over five years on salaries and benefits for new faculty.

waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'mobile' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid1-mobile'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid1'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-mobile'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); }); waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'desktop' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid2-desktop'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-desktop'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); }); Dive Insight:

Texas A&M is facing a problem many institutions around the U.S. would probably like to have: steep enrollment growth. 

Welsh noted that the student body has grown 30% over the past 10 years, which, he added, “is more than double the average of all other public universities in the state.” 

In fall 2023, Texas A&M’s College Station campus enrollment stood at 76,633 students, up 11.6% from five years prior, according to federal data. Between 2013 and 2023, the university added nearly 18,000 new students, according to a university capacity study released with Welsh’s message.

Texas A&M has “absorbed much of the impact of this growth over the last 10 years,” but it “cannot continue to do that,” Welsh said. “We must right-size our university in the near-term to ensure we maintain an incredible education and experience for our students over the long-term.”

For many, the term “rightsize” is a euphemism for cutting. But in Texas A&M’s case, the university needs to grow its infrastructure to catch up with its expanding student body. 

In recommending the enrollment growth pause, the capacity study pointed to deficiencies in student support infrastructure — including on-campus housing, dining and study spaces — as well as an increasing faculty-to-student ratio. 

Then there are the more practical logistics of operating a university, such as parking and transportation. 

The capacity study noted that campuswide parking needs next year are expected to be above capacity. Moreover, roughly one-third of the bus fleet is older than its first-year students.

In response, Texas A&M plans to add eight to 12 new buses and separate lanes for bicycles and electric mobility devices, Welsh said. It will also potentially switch to later class times on its fast-growing West campus.

The study recommended that during the yearslong growth pause, the university add spaces for housing, dining, recreation, study, parking, and classrooms and academic support.

It also recommended adding 140 to 160 new tenured and tenure-track faculty at a cost of $5 million annually.

Welsh said he would take the enrollment plan to Texas A&M system’s board of regents “in the near future.”

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• purchase licensing rights

Filed Under: Enrollment, Faculty and Staff, Finance Higher Ed Dive news delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts

Email:

• Select user consent: By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Sign up A valid email address is required. Please select at least one newsletter. Editors' picks

• nico_blue/E+ via Getty Images How will colleges fare financially in 2025? It depends.

  While some institutions will be in a strong position, S&P and Moody’s both pointed to operating and financial challenges for others.

  By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 9, 2024
• Retrieved from The Officer of the Governor of California. California nixes degree requirements for 30K state jobs

  The move is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s broader push to create better career pathways for residents, including those who don’t have college diplomas.

  By Laura Spitalniak • Dec. 17, 2024