Texas A&M named to list of ‘dream schools’ for students
Book by New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo draws on more than two years of research and a survey of some 3,000 parents.
Texas A&M University is a “dream school,” according to a new book by Jeff Selingo, New York Times bestselling author and an expert on education and the job market.
Texas A&M is one of 75 schools in the nation profiled in “Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You” (September 2025). Selingo describes the schools as “hidden-gem schools with incredible value and rich opportunities [that] are waiting to be discovered.”
Selingo said his findings are based on over two years of research and a survey of more than 3,000 parents nationwide, and that the book, “reveals what really matters in a college: strong job prospects after graduation, hands-on learning experiences and a sense of belonging.”
He said his goal is to shift the spotlight from how colleges pick students to how students can better pick colleges.
Texas A&M is a new dream school because of its high graduation rate, its focus on coaching students to help them get to graduation on time and its outcomes in the job market.
A shifting paradigm: Costly does not equal prestigious
Texas A&M is the most in-demand university in the state of Texas and one of the largest in the nation in student population. Selingo argues that many public universities are too often overlooked by prospective students and their families in favor of more costly schools that are perceived as more prestigious. His research focuses on the changing nature of work and its impact on education, paying for college, the student experience and shifting expectations for what the public and employers want from colleges. He is co-host of the Future U podcast.
“Texas A&M is one of the nation’s largest universities, but it proves that scale and student success can go hand in hand at a time when families want higher ed to provide an ROI,” Selingo said. “Texas A&M is a new dream school because of its high graduation rate, its focus on coaching students to help them get to graduation on time and its outcomes in the job market.”
Texas A&M is absolutely my dream school, and I can’t imagine having chosen otherwise.
As a tier-one research institution, A&M offers students a vast selection of hands-on learning experiences, with graduate and undergraduate research programs and opportunities. Aggie students tackle real-world problems, their fresh perspectives intertwining with faculty expertise.
The university’s 5,500-acre campus — one of the largest in the nation — brims with state-of-the-art technology in teaching, research, design and development.
And because they’re part of the Aggie Family, students share in nearly 150 years of beloved traditions that bind generations and create a sense of belonging few schools can rival.
“Coming to Texas A&M was always the plan. Knowing the experiences of my mom and dad on this amazing campus drove me to desire those same experiences,” said Carter Mallory, 2025-26 student body president. “Texas A&M is absolutely my dream school, and I can’t imagine having chosen otherwise.”
Former students, too, have shared the impact that being an Aggie has had on their lives and careers, notably the CEO of global energy company Halliburton Jeff Miller, a 1988 graduate of Mays Business School.
“My time there was an opportunity to do brand new things and to learn brand new things; it’s been foundational for my whole career,” he said. “The Aggie Core Values are applicable in everything, and they make for great leaders.
“Aggies are about something bigger than themselves.”
Read more about “Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You” at jeffselingo.com.
