Mays Business School is Texas A&M's undergraduate and graduate business school, and its undergraduate program (Bachelor of Business Administration, or BBA) is consistently one of the most selective destinations within the wider university. This article covers Mays' undergraduate BBA program specifically, not the Mays MBA or other graduate business degrees, which are separate programs with their own, distinct admissions processes and career outcomes.
Here's what it takes to get into and succeed in Texas A&M's undergraduate business program: the real acceptance picture, cost, requirements, English-test rules, and career outcomes.
Acceptance Rate
Mays Business School's undergraduate acceptance rate is meaningfully more selective than Texas A&M's university-wide rate. Per third-party admissions data, the acceptance rate for a recent incoming BBA freshman class was approximately 29.8%, with an average SAT score around 1273 among admitted students. This is not an official Texas A&M-published figure, so treat it as a reasonably reliable estimate rather than an exact, guaranteed benchmark for every future cycle.
There are two main pathways into Mays:
- Direct freshman admission: applicants select business (major code BUAD) as their first-choice major when applying to Texas A&M, and are evaluated for both university admission and Mays placement together.
- On-campus change of major (for students already at Texas A&M in another program): requires a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, admission to Texas A&M as a new freshman, and completion of between 30 and 60 credit hours at Texas A&M. Transfer students who are admitted to a non-business major elsewhere at Texas A&M are generally not eligible to later change into Mays, which makes direct freshman admission the more reliable route for international applicants who know they want business from the outset.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Mays undergraduate students pay Texas A&M's standard university tuition and fee schedule, with Texas A&M's own catalog estimating a total cost of attendance for non-resident/international undergraduates of approximately $62,272/year (nine-month academic year), covering tuition and fees, housing and food, books, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses.
| Cost item | Amount (USD/year, international undergraduate) |
|---|---|
| Total estimated cost of attendance (official Texas A&M catalog figure, university-wide) | ~$62,272 |
| Prior third-party estimate range for undergraduate tuition alone | ~$38,000-$42,000 |
Mays may charge its own business-program differential tuition or fees on top of the university base rate, but the exact current figure was not confirmed from a primary Texas A&M source during this research; applicants should use Texas A&M's own tuition calculator (tuition.tamu.edu) selecting the business program for a precise estimate. International students are not eligible for US federal or state financial aid, but Mays offers its own scholarships to admitted undergraduates, awarded competitively rather than automatically.
Admission Requirements
- Completed application through Texas A&M's Office of Admissions (ApplyTexas or the Coalition Application), selecting business (BUAD) as first-choice major
- Official secondary school transcripts, with certified English translations if not in English
- Competitive applicants typically present an SAT around 1273 or the ACT equivalent, though Texas A&M's process is holistic rather than purely numeric
- Evidence of English proficiency (unless exempt, see below)
- International application fee and financial documentation to support I-20/visa processing once admitted
- For students hoping to switch into Mays after starting at Texas A&M in another major: a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and between 30 and 60 completed Texas A&M credit hours (note: this path is not available to students who were admitted elsewhere as transfer students)
How to Get Into Texas A&M's Mays Business School
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Apply directly to business (BUAD) as your first-choice major from the outset. Because transfer students admitted to a non-business major are generally not eligible to later move into Mays, and even continuing Texas A&M students face a competitive 3.5 GPA bar to switch in, direct freshman admission is the most reliable pathway for international applicants who already know they want a business degree.
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Build a strong, well-rounded academic profile, not just a passing one. With admitted students averaging around a 1273 SAT and an acceptance rate in the roughly 30% range, Mays should be treated as one of Texas A&M's more selective colleges, closer in competitiveness to the university's more in-demand programs than to its overall ~44-60% headline rate.
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Show quantitative and communication strength. Mays' BBA curriculum blends analytics, finance, and communication-heavy coursework across its majors (Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Management Information Systems, and Supply Chain Management), so strong grades in mathematics alongside demonstrated writing, leadership, or extracurricular business-adjacent experience (clubs, case competitions, internships) support a well-rounded application.
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Apply early in the cycle. As with Texas A&M generally, applying close to the application window opening improves odds for competitive, in-demand programs like Mays.
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If you're not admitted directly, understand the change-of-major path is narrow. If your first application doesn't secure direct Mays admission, know that switching in later requires maintaining a 3.5+ GPA at Texas A&M and completing the required credit-hour range, which is a real but demanding backup route, not a guaranteed one.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Mays' undergraduate BBA applicants follow Texas A&M's standard university-wide English proficiency requirements for international undergraduates; note that Mays' graduate programs (MBA and other graduate business degrees) set their own, separate and typically higher requirements, which are outside the scope of this undergraduate-focused article:
- IELTS Academic: minimum 6.0-6.5 (sources vary on the exact undergraduate floor; confirm the current figure directly with Texas A&M admissions for your specific application cycle)
- TOEFL iBT: minimum 80
For the full breakdown of Texas A&M's acceptance rates, tuition, and requirements across the wider university, see Texas A&M University's full guide.
Career Outcomes
Mays graduates benefit from Texas A&M's large-scale recruiting infrastructure and the business school's own reputation in finance, consulting, and corporate roles:
- Texas A&M's Career Center reports that more than 3,000 employers, including roughly 80% of the Fortune 100, recruit on campus each year, and 95% of surveyed students found the Career Center helpful in securing a job or internship (university-wide figures, not broken out specifically for Mays undergraduates in the sources reviewed)
- A specific, confirmed official employment-rate percentage or average starting salary for Mays BBA graduates specifically was not located from a primary Texas A&M source during this research; Texas A&M's Career Center maintains a "Who Hires My Major" dashboard and first-destination outcomes data that should be checked directly for current, major-specific figures
- Business degrees are generally not STEM-designated (unless a specific major or track, such as certain quantitative business analytics programs, carries its own STEM designation, which varies and should be confirmed directly with Mays), so most BBA graduates rely on the standard 12-month OPT period rather than the 24-month STEM OPT extension available to engineering and other STEM graduates
International students weighing OPT length as part of their major decision should factor this difference in, since the standard OPT period gives less runway to secure long-term employer sponsorship than the STEM OPT pathway available to Engineering and other STEM-designated majors at Texas A&M.
FAQ
Does Texas A&M publish an official acceptance rate for Mays Business School? Not as an official university-published figure confirmed in this research. Third-party data reports a recent BBA freshman acceptance rate of approximately 29.8%, notably more selective than Texas A&M's university-wide rate, but this should be treated as a directional estimate.
Is this the same as the Texas A&M MBA program? No. This article covers Mays' undergraduate BBA program. The Mays MBA and other graduate business degrees are separate programs with their own admissions processes, requirements, and career outcomes, and typically higher English proficiency thresholds.
Can I transfer into Mays after starting at Texas A&M in a different major? Only if you were originally admitted to Texas A&M as a new freshman (not as a transfer student from elsewhere). You'll need a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and between 30 and 60 completed Texas A&M credit hours. Transfer students admitted to a non-business major elsewhere are generally not eligible for this path.
What SAT score do competitive Mays applicants typically have? Third-party data reports an average SAT around 1273 among a recent admitted BBA class, though Texas A&M's admissions process is holistic rather than purely score-based.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Mays' undergraduate BBA program? Reported minimums are in the IELTS 6.0-6.5 range or TOEFL 80, though the exact current figure can vary by source and cycle, so confirm directly with Texas A&M admissions before applying.
Does a Mays BBA degree qualify for STEM OPT? Generally no, unless a specific major or track has its own STEM designation, which varies and should be confirmed directly with Mays. Most Mays BBA graduates use the standard 12-month OPT period rather than the 24-month STEM OPT extension.