Estimated Costs 2009-10
Estimated Tuition and Fees
The amount charged to in-state students by Texas A&M University is a combination of two components, tuition based on the number of credit hours taken and various fees. For 2009-10 the tuition costs for a full-time Bush School student who qualifies for in-state rates is $221.74 per credit hour, multiplied by the required 12 credit-hours per semester. Therefore, tuition cost is $2,661 per semester, or about $5,300 for the year. (If a student is enrolled for the summer semester, then costs of an additional term must be included.) Required fees each semester are estimated at $2,600 per semester, or $5,200 for the year. Add an additional optional parking permit, meal plans and athletic passes, and the total resident tuition and fees will range $10,500 and upward per year. *
Non-resident graduate rates are posted at $502.74 per credit hour, so tuition rates run $12,066 for the year, while fees add another $5,200 (without optional fees). This brings the total non-resident tuition and fees to $17,300 per year. It is extremely important to note, however, that virtually all Bush School students have received sufficient assistance to qualify for resident rates due to our scholarships, saving non-Texas resident students $7,000 in out-of-state costs. In other words, everyone uses the resident total.
Cost of Living
College Station has the lowest cost of living index of the top schools ranked by US News and World Report in its America's Best Graduate Schools 2009 edition.
The low cost of living combined with the low cost of tuition and high level of scholarship support make the Bush School at Texas A&M university one of the "best buys" for your graduate degree.
Download cost of living index table
Though living expenses for each GBS student will vary according to personal needs, an estimated median cost for yearly expenses has been figured by Texas A&M University (Scholarships & Financial Aid) at roughly $13,700 a year (based on 20 credit hours a year and 9-month occupancy).
Estimated Living Expenses
| Books & supplies | $708 |
| Room & Board | $9,986 |
| Travel | $600 |
| Loan fees | $185 |
| Personal expenses | $2,223 |
| $13,696 |
| Resident tuition | $5,322 | ($221.74 x 24 credit hours yearly) |
| Resident fees | $5,231 | (No optional fees included. This means parking, meal plans, athletic passes, etc. are an additional cost) |
| $10,553 |
Total Costs and Benefit
The grand total estimates of tuition/fees and cost of living is just over $24,000 a year for those qualifying for resident rates, which covers virtually all GBS students for the reasons noted above. When these amounts are combined with the generous scholarships the Bush School offers its students, you'll see why the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University is a bargain buy from a top public and international affairs institution— with programs and faculty competitive with some of the best in the country.
*Tuition and fees are determined by the Texas A&M Board of Regents and are subject to change.
