The Texas A&M Mays MBA is the two-year, 49-credit full-time MBA at Mays Business School in College Station, Texas. U.S. News ranks it No. 36 in its 2026 list, up from No. 43, and No. 15 among public schools. Poets&Quants reports that Mays admitted 24.8% of 299 applicants in the 2025 cycle, and the school says 96.3% of MBA graduates received offers within 90 days of graduation.
For fall 2027 entry, Round 1 closes on 30 October 2026 and the final deadline for international applicants is 28 January 2027, which is also the Round 2 date for fellowship consideration. Admission works in two steps: a short pre-application and interview with Mays, then the full university application on BusinessCAS. This guide covers the Texas A&M MBA requirements for international students, English rules (Nigeria and Ghana are on the exemption list), costs, scholarships and outcomes.
Texas A&M Mays MBA at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Programme | Full-Time MBA, two years, 49 credit hours, College Station |
| U.S. News rank | No. 36, 2026 Best Business Schools (released April 2026), tied with SMU Cox; No. 15 among publics |
| Acceptance rate (fall 2025 intake) | 24.8% of 299 applicants (Poets&Quants, from U.S. News data) |
| Work experience required | 3 years or more |
| Average GMAT, class size, international share | Not published on Mays’ pages |
| English minimums | TOEFL iBT 5.0 overall with 4.0 per section (new scale); IELTS 7.0 |
| Tuition (Mays pricing page) | $104,799 non-resident; $77,497 Texas resident |
| STEM | Not the standalone MBA; the MBA + MS Analytics dual degree is STEM-designated |
| Offers within 90 days | 96.3% of MBA graduates |
| Average salary | $133,075, with a $20,000 average signing bonus |
Texas A&M Mays MBA ranking
Mays announced on 7 April 2026 that its full-time MBA had climbed to No. 36 overall in the U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools ranking, from No. 43 a year earlier, and to No. 15 among public programmes, from No. 20. It shares No. 36 with SMU Cox in Dallas. Poets&Quants’ own 2026 ranking places Mays at No. 38.
Texas A&M Mays MBA acceptance rate and class profile
Mays does not publish an acceptance rate or a class profile on its full-time MBA pages. Poets&Quants, using data reported to U.S. News, gives these application figures:
| Intake | Applications | Acceptance rate | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | 299 | 24.8% | 21.6% |
| Fall 2024 | 265 | 35.5% | 38.3% |
| Fall 2023 | 252 | 47.2% | 47.9% |
The acceptance rate has roughly halved in two years while applications rose, so Mays is becoming more selective. The yield is low, meaning most admitted applicants enrol somewhere else. That gives a strong admit leverage when you discuss scholarships and in-state tuition waivers.
Without an official average GMAT, use the requirements as your guide: at least three years of professional experience, a GMAT or GRE score unless you win a waiver, and clear evidence of quantitative ability. Mays says waivers are limited and are considered for applicants with a strong undergraduate GPA and three or more years of professional experience.
Texas A&M Mays MBA requirements for international students
Step 1: Programme admission (pre-application)
- Three or more years of relevant professional experience.
- Pre-application form with your citizenship status and test status (taken, scheduled or requesting a waiver).
- Resume as a PDF, no larger than 1 MB.
- Unofficial transcripts for every degree conferred, PDF, 1 MB maximum. Non-U.S. degrees must be translated into English.
- GRE or GMAT score report, a scheduled test date, or an approved waiver.
- A required answer giving evidence of quantitative ability through coursework or work.
- A required answer on your post-MBA career goal and how the degree helps you reach it.
- An evaluative interview if you are selected to move forward.
Step 2: University admission on BusinessCAS
- The BusinessCAS online application and the application fee (Mays does not state the amount on its page).
- Resume and unofficial transcripts from every four-year institution attended, even without a degree.
- GMAT or GRE score report, or the approved waiver.
- International applicants: a copy of the original transcript with English translation, and, if your GPA is not on a 4-point scale, a WES or TEC basic course-by-course evaluation with a U.S. GPA.
- An English proficiency score report unless you are exempt or have a waiver.
Degree equivalence
Three-year bachelor’s degrees from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are not accepted unless you also hold a master’s degree. Indian applicants with a three-year degree may qualify through the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Associate Member final exam, taken after the bachelor’s. If your country is not on the university’s equivalence list, email mbaprograms@mays.tamu.edu before applying. A four-year degree from Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya does not run into this rule.
Credential evaluation
Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by TEC (through the Mays-specific Spantran link) or WES (BASIC course-by-course). The report must list every post-secondary subject with U.S. credit and grade equivalents and a 4.0-scale GPA. Processing takes at least 7 to 10 business days, and Mays says the electronic evaluation must arrive by the 28 January deadline with no exceptions. Order it in December.
English requirements
| Test | Minimum for the Mays MBA |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 5.0 overall, at least 4.0 in each section |
| TOEFL Essentials | 10 |
| TOEFL paper-based | 600 |
| IELTS | 7.0 |
| Validity | No more than two years old when you submit the online application |
The TOEFL institution code is 6003, and IELTS scores must be sent electronically by the test centre. Mays’ page does not mention Duolingo or PTE. Citizens of several countries are exempt, including Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Ghana and several Caribbean nations.
Everyone else can request a waiver by emailing a one-page request to mbaprograms@mays.tamu.edu with a GMAT or GRE score report attached. A GMAT Verbal score of 77 or a GRE Verbal score of 146 qualifies automatically. Replies take about a week, up to two in busy periods. Do not submit the application before the waiver is granted, or it will sit incomplete and inactive.
Texas A&M Mays MBA deadlines 2026-2027
| Milestone (fall 2027 entry) | Domestic | International |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 1 August 2026 | 1 August 2026 |
| Round 1 | 30 October 2026 | 30 October 2026 |
| Round 2 (fellowship consideration) | 28 January 2027 | 28 January 2027 (final) |
| Final deadline | 26 May 2027 | 28 January 2027 |
International deadline
28 January 2027 is the last date for international applicants, and your WES or TEC evaluation must reach Mays by then. Late evaluations are not accepted.
How to apply, step by step
- Check eligibility: Count your full-time professional experience (three years or more) and confirm your degree is accepted.
- Sort out English: Check whether your citizenship exempts you; if not, take TOEFL or IELTS or request a waiver with your GMAT or GRE Verbal score.
- Take the GMAT or GRE, or prepare a waiver case built on your GPA and experience.
- Order the WES or TEC evaluation early if your GPA is not on a 4-point scale.
- Submit the pre-application with your resume, transcripts, test status and the two short answers.
- Prepare for the evaluative interview if Mays invites you.
- Complete BusinessCAS and pay the fee once Mays accepts you at programme level.
- After admission: Pay the $2,000 non-refundable deposit, then work with Texas A&M’s International Student and Scholar Services on the I-20.
Texas A&M Mays MBA essays and short answers
Mays’ pre-application has two required written questions. Neither has a stated word limit, so aim for 250 to 400 words each, enough to be specific without padding. BusinessCAS may ask further questions; check the application when you open it.
| Question | What to cover |
|---|---|
| Share evidence of quantitative ability through coursework or work experience | Named courses and grades, plus tasks at work where you built models, budgets or analyses |
| What is your post-MBA career goal and how will the degree help you achieve it? | A specific role and industry, why now, and which parts of the Mays MBA close your gaps |
Evidence of quantitative ability
Treat this as a short case file. Lead with your strongest numbers: grades in statistics, calculus, accounting or econometrics, then a work example where analysis changed a decision. If you are requesting a test waiver, this answer carries most of the weight, so give scale (budget size, data volume, savings).
For illustration: “I scored A in Engineering Mathematics III and Statistics, and since 2022 I have built the monthly cost model for a 120-truck haulage fleet in Lagos, which cut fuel spend by 9%.”
Post-MBA career goal
State one job you want right after graduation, in a named industry, then explain the skills you lack today and how the MBA supplies them. If you need U.S. work after graduation, remember the standalone MBA is not STEM-designated, so think about how that affects your plan or whether the MBA + MS Analytics route suits you better.
For illustration: “After the Mays MBA I plan to join a Houston energy company’s strategy team, moving from field operations into commercial roles that need finance and analytics I do not have yet.”
The Mays interview
If your pre-application is selected to move forward, you complete an evaluative interview before you are invited to submit BusinessCAS. Mays does not publish the format, length or timing. Expect questions on your career goal, your quantitative evidence and why Texas A&M, and treat it as the main admissions decision, since it comes before the full application.
What the admissions committee looks for
- Three or more years of relevant professional experience.
- Proof you can handle quantitative work, either through a test or through coursework and your job.
- A post-MBA goal that is specific and that the MBA can plausibly help with.
- A good showing in the evaluative interview.
- A complete file, including the credential evaluation, before the deadline.
Texas A&M Mays MBA tuition and cost
Mays’ pricing page lists tuition and fees of $104,799 for non-residents and $77,497 for Texas residents for fall 2027 entry. It does not say whether this is per year or for the whole programme, and it points to the university’s tuition calculator as the official source, so confirm the basis there before you build a visa budget. Mays does not publish a full cost of attendance.
The figure that can change your cost most is the in-state tuition waiver. Mays says every admitted student is automatically considered for merit scholarships and in-state tuition waivers. If you receive a waiver, you pay the resident rate, which on Mays’ own figures is $27,302 lower.
Costs not covered
- Housing, food and transport in College Station.
- Health insurance and university fees not included in the tuition figure.
- The WES or TEC evaluation and English test fees.
- The BusinessCAS application fee.
- The $2,000 deposit, which is credited to first-semester tuition but paid upfront.
- SEVIS fee, visa fee and flights.
Texas A&M Mays MBA scholarships for international students
All admitted students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships and in-state tuition waivers. Applicants in Round 2, with the 28 January deadline, are considered for fellowships. Mays does not name its scholarships, publish amounts or say how many international students receive them. Ask admissions which awards and waivers international admits received last cycle.
Mays’ pages do not mention Prodigy Finance, MPOWER or loans without a U.S. co-signer; they say aid can come from federal, state, institutional and private sources, and name a financial aid liaison you can contact. For outside funding, see our list of American scholarships for international students.
STEM designation and OPT
The standalone Full-Time MBA is not STEM-designated. Graduates on an F-1 visa can use the standard 12 months of OPT but not the 24-month STEM extension. The MBA + MS Analytics dual degree meets STEM requirements, and Mays notes that students must take positions related to the degree, as Department of Homeland Security rules require, to qualify for the extension. If you want three years of U.S. work after graduation, apply to the dual degree.
Texas A&M Mays MBA salary and employment
- 96.3% of MBA graduates received offers within 90 days of graduation (Mays full-time MBA page; class year not stated).
- Average salary $133,075, average signing bonus $20,000.
- Class of 2024: 96% received offers within 90 days, according to a Mays article from February 2026.
- December 2025 graduates: 100% of those actively seeking work had an offer by graduation, based on internal tracking.
Mays does not publish a median salary, a three-month acceptance rate, an industry breakdown or a list of employers on the pages I checked, and nothing splits outcomes by citizenship. Ask the career management team for its full employment report before you accept an offer.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Applying with less than three years of experience.
- Submitting before a requested English waiver is granted, leaving the application inactive.
- Ordering the credential evaluation in late January, then missing the deadline.
- Assuming a three-year Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani degree will be accepted.
- Writing a vague career goal with no named role or industry.
- Counting on STEM OPT with the standalone MBA.
- Waiting for the domestic May deadline, which does not apply to international applicants.
Who should apply to Texas A&M Mays, and who shouldn’t
Apply if you have at least three years of experience, want a Texas-based career, and would value the chance of an in-state tuition waiver at a public school with a rising ranking. Applicants from Nigeria and Ghana save the cost of an English test.
Think twice if you need STEM OPT and do not want the dual degree, or if you need published salary medians and class data before applying.
Texas A&M Mays vs peer MBA programmes
| School | U.S. News 2026 | Avg GMAT | Tuition or cost | International | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M Mays | No. 36 (tie) | Not published | $104,799 non-resident (period not stated) | Not published | 28 January 2027 (international final) |
| SMU Cox | No. 36 (tie) | 633 GMAT Focus (2025 entering class) | $51,337 tuition; $98,942 estimated total, 2026-27 (9 months) | 29% | 5 January 2027 (Round 2) |
| Rice Jones | No. 29 | 625 GMAT Focus (Class of 2027) | $79,116 a year tuition (2026) | 41% | 6 January 2027 (Round 2) |
| Texas McCombs | No. 18 (tie) | 655 GMAT Focus median (Class of 2027) | $61,214 tuition, 2026-27 (Poets&Quants) | 31% | 15 January 2027 (Round 2) |
| UT Dallas Jindal | No. 23 | Not published for current cohort | $65,607 for the 18-month programme, nonresident | 37% | 8 January 2027 |
For undergraduate study at the same university, see our Texas A&M University admission requirements for international students.
FAQ
What is the Texas A&M Mays MBA acceptance rate?
Poets&Quants, using U.S. News data, reports a 24.8% acceptance rate from 299 applications for the fall 2025 intake. Mays does not publish the figure itself.
Do Nigerian applicants need TOEFL or IELTS for the Mays MBA?
No. Mays lists Nigeria and Ghana among the countries whose citizens are exempt. Others need TOEFL iBT 5.0 overall (4.0 per section) or IELTS 7.0, or a waiver based on a GMAT Verbal 77 or GRE Verbal 146.
Is the Texas A&M MBA STEM designated?
The standalone Full-Time MBA is not. The MBA + MS Analytics dual degree is STEM-designated and can lead to the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
What is the Mays MBA deadline for international students?
The Deadline is 28 January 2027, the final date for international applicants and the Round 2 date for fellowship consideration. Round 1 closes on 30 October 2026.
Sources and updates
The two-step process, required documents and pre-application questions are from Mays’ Full-Time MBA application page. Deadlines, tuition, the deposit and scholarship rules are from the Mays full-time MBA pricing page. English minimums, exemptions, waivers, degree equivalence, credential evaluation and STEM status are from Mays’ international student information page. Offers, average salary and bonus are from the Mays full-time MBA overview page; Class of 2024 and December 2025 outcomes are from Mays’ February 2026 article on the value of the Mays MBA. Mays’ 7 April 2026 news release gives its public and overall rankings. Applications, acceptance rate and yield are from Poets&Quants’ August 2026 article on acceptance rates, yield and applications at the top 100 U.S. MBA programmes, which uses data schools reported to U.S. News for the fall 2025 intake. The ranking is from U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (full-time MBA), released on 7 April 2026, as tabulated by Poets&Quants. Checked on 29 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
