Graduation

Messaging Guidance

The Big Idea

Graduation at Texas A&M marks a meaningful transition for students, their families and the community that has walked alongside them. It is a moment when traditions carry forward, and the bond among Aggies takes on new meaning. As current students become former students, the Aggie Ring turns outward — symbolizing a shift from learning within Aggieland to serving beyond it.

This moment represents the purpose at the heart of Texas A&M: to develop leaders of character prepared to serve for the good of others. What begins here continues far beyond Aggieland, as graduates prepare for the next phase of their lives, ready to make an impact — across Texas, the nation and the world. Together, with over 570,000 living former students standing with them, our graduates have the highest-valued degree in the state.

How to storytell on your channels:

• Showcase your graduates.
• Share rankings and facts (reasons to believe) about Aggie graduates across your external and internal channels.
• Note the size of the Aggie Network.

Social Captions

• Congratulations to our Aggies who graduated today! These students are confident leaders of character and excellence who will positively impact the world around them. We’re proud of you, Ags!
• Graduated from Texas A&M ✅
• Here they are! Your newest Texas A&M former students!
• Congratulations to our Ags who crossed the stage today! 👍
• Standing together to celebrate our graduates!
• Rings now face out to the world, ready to lead and serve for good.
• Once an Aggie, always an Aggie! Congrats to our newest former students! 👍

Related Rankings and Benefits for Aggie Graduates

Texas A&M provides value and is committed to making a college degree affordable. Below are benefit statements that are timely for graduation.

• The Class of 2026 graduates completed their degrees without a tuition increase  (Texas A&M University Enrollment Management, Office of the Provost).
• The Class of 2026 did not experience a tuition increase during their time at Texas A&M.
• Texas A&M graduates see the highest return on investment for bachelor’s degrees among Texas public universities. (Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity )
• Texas A&M graduates earn an average of $52,000 annually — the highest in Texas. (Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity)
• Texas A&M recent graduates earn an average of $52,000 for their starting salary. That’s the highest in Texas. (Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity )
• Texas A&M named No. 1 public university in Texas for return on investment. (Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity)
• 63% of Texas A&M students graduate debt free. (Texas A&M University Enrollment Management, Office of the Provost)
• Texas A&M ranks in the Top 15 Best Value Public Universities in the U.S. (U.S. News and World Report, 2026 Best Colleges)
• The Association of Former Students has one of the largest living alumni networks in the world — the Aggie Network.

Guiding Principles

Here are some principles that are unique to Texas A&M graduation.

Former Students

At Texas A&M, our alumni are called former students — the preferred term for anyone who attended the university. Rooted in the tradition that “once an Aggie, always an Aggie,” this term honors all who attended, including those who left early, often for military service.

Class Year

As appropriate, include the last two digits of the class year after the name, with an inverted apostrophe. When referring to a former student with multiple degrees, list the degrees in the order in which they were received. When referring to a couple who are both former students, include the last two digits of the class year with an apostrophe after each person’s name.

• Lowry Mays ’57
• Cassidy Cooper ‘10 ‘19
• Marvin ’98 and Marlene Finkelstein Smith ’03