“R2 public research university in Northeast Texas and the third-largest in the Texas A&M System.”
East Texas A&M University (ETAMU) — formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce until a 2024 renaming — is a public doctoral research university in Commerce, Texas, founded in 1889 as East Texas Normal College and now the easternmost campus of the Texas A&M University System. The university enrolls roughly 11,500 students and maintains a teaching-first, access-oriented mission: it has historically been one of the state's largest producers of public-school teachers, superintendents, school counselors, and community-college presidents. Its 1,883-acre campus is the largest in northeast Texas, about 65 miles from Dallas, and centers on the historic 'Legacy Hall' and the Sam Rayburn Memorial Library — the only presidential-congressional library for a Speaker of the U.S. House. Academically, ETAMU operates through six colleges: the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the College of Business, the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Science and Engineering, the College of Humanities, Social Sciences & Arts, and the College of Innovation and Design. The College of Business is AACSB-accredited with concentrations in accounting, business analytics, finance, and supply chain/logistics, and the education college remains the flagship — nationally recognized for counseling and educational leadership. STEM programs in computer science, cybersecurity, engineering technology, and agricultural sciences are STEM-OPT designated and draw a meaningful international contingent from the College of Science and Engineering. Student life is distinctly small-town-Texas. Commerce is a city of roughly 10,000 residents, and the university is the center of social and economic activity; more than 150 student clubs, a Greek community, and NCAA Division II Lions athletics (transitioning to Division I in the Southland Conference for football and several other sports) drive campus culture. The Lucky Lion hand sign, Lions Roar welcome week, Homecoming, and the Pride Rock residence-hall complex anchor traditions. International students are served by International Student and Scholar Services, which provides I-20 issuance, SEVIS management, CPT and OPT workshops, and cultural programming — including a mandatory OPT workshop in a student's final semesters before filing.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Research Classification
Carnegie Classification
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceFall (International)
Must be submitted at least 90 days before semester start
Spring (International)
90-day lead time for visa processing
Summer (International)
Limited programs accept summer-start international students
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$10,026
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$22,326
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
AACSB-accredited. Offers business analytics, supply-chain management/logistics, accounting, finance, marketing, general management, and health-care administration.
The historical heart of the university — one of Texas's largest producers of public-school teachers, school counselors, and superintendents.
Home to STEM programs including computer science, cybersecurity, engineering technology, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Most STEM majors are OPT-extension eligible.
Programs in agribusiness, agricultural sciences, animal science, equine studies, and wildlife & conservation science.
Liberal arts core plus criminal justice, political science, music, art & design, and mass communication.
A competency-based and interdisciplinary college for nontraditional and career-pivot students.
2 years
A long-running program that prepares principals, superintendents, and district leaders across Texas. One of the largest pipelines into Texas school-district administration.
4 years
AACSB-accredited with a hands-on analytics and data-visualization curriculum. Partners with DFW-area employers for internships and capstones.
4 years
STEM-OPT designated. Concentrations in cybersecurity, software engineering, and data science, housed within the College of Science and Engineering.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $22,326
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
