Texas A&M University College of Engineering

College of Engineering
Former name
Dwight Look College of Engineering
TypePublic
Established1880; 146 years ago (1880)
Parent institution
Texas A&M University
DeanRobert H. Bishop
Faculty837 (Fall 2025)
Students23,416 (Fall 2024)
Undergraduates19,005 (Fall 2024)
Postgraduates4,411 (Fall 2024)
WebsiteCollege of Engineering

The Texas A&M College of Engineering is the engineering college of Texas A&M University in College Station. It is one of the oldest Colleges in A&M's history (dating back to the early days of the institution), and historically it has been one of its largest, with an annual enrollment of around 24,000 total students.

History

Zachry Engineering Education Complex, the main building for undergraduate engineering education

The first engineering department at Texas A&M appeared in 1880, four years after the foundation of the school, with the creation of the Department of Engineering, Mechanics, and Drawing. For the next several years, the curriculum focused on practical training to assist students in finding industrial and vocational work. By 1887, separate departments had been created for mechanical engineering and for civil engineering and drawing.

To assist the United States during World War I, the Department of Mechanical Engineering shifted focus to train blacksmiths, automobile mechanics, machinists, draftsmen, general mechanics, and pipe fitters for the war. Following the war, the department's enrollment continued to increase, and it began offering courses in power, industrial and railway, or transportation engineering. In the 1930s, these options were eliminated, while others, including aerodynamics, air-conditioning and physical metallurgy began to be offered. During the 1936–1937 school year, the Department of Mechanical Engineering was first accredited by the Engineering Council for Professional Development, now known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

By 1940, the engineering school comprised almost half of Texas A&M's enrollment. As World War II dawned, the school again assisted the war effort, with the Department of Mechanical Engineering faculty volunteering to teach at military bases throughout the state. Following the war, college introduced a Ph.D. program, and industries and government began to sponsor research within the College.

From 1992-2016, the College was known as the Dwight Look College of Engineering, named after Harold Dwight Look, a graduate and army veteran of World War II who later founded a construction company on the U.S. Territory of Guam, where he lived for 40 years until his death on September 5, 2002, at the age of 80. In 1992, Look donated 1,146 acres in Guam valued at $52 million to the university, considered at the time the largest single gift ever received by the university. It was reported that Texas A&M was looking to sell the property in 2009, which ultimately took place in 2016 (due to a severe crash in Asian real estate prices, the land sold for only $6 million). Upon sale of the land, in accordance with the original terms of the gift, Look's name was removed from the College's name (his name still remains on one of the four major buildings constituting the Engineering Quad at A&M).

Academics

Academic Departments

The College of Engineering operates under 14 departments (names in parentheses are Departments which have naming rights attached):

Degrees offered

Jack E. Brown Engineering Building

As of the 2026-2027 academic year, these are the degrees (including minors and dual degrees) offered by the College (listed by the Department which offers them along with Interdisciplinary Engineering degrees offered):

In addition, several departments offer specialized certificates, which count towards academic credit but not necessarily a degree or minor.

Rankings

The 2026 edition of the U.S. News & World Report ranks the Texas A&M University College of Engineering graduate program 9th and the undergraduate program 10th.

Individual engineering programs as ranked among public institutions by U.S. News & World Report:

Research

According to the National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research and Development Survey, as of 2025, the college had $464.8 million in engineering research expenditures, ranking it 3rd overall.

The College maintains responsibility for three independent agencies as part of the overall Texas A&M University System:

References

  1. ↑ https://engineering.tamu.edu/about/leadership/index.html
  2. ↑ https://engineering.tamu.edu/about/facts-and-figures/index.html
  3. 1 2 3 "Student enrollment demographics". Texas A&M University, Office of Academic and Business Performance Analytics. Retrieved September 27, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Our History". Texas A&M University. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Dwight Look College of Engineering". July 27, 2016. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Texas A&M wants to sell donated Mannegon property". KUAM. September 5, 2009. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  7. ↑ Burka, Paul (July 1992). "Aggie Land". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Our Departments". Texas A&M University College of Engineering. Retrieved September 27, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Engineering Degrees Offered". Texas A&M University College of Engineering. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Rankings". Texas A&M University – Dwight Look College of Engineering. Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Rankings". Texas A&M University – Dwight Look College of Engineering. Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  12. ↑ https://research.tamu.edu/about/research-rankings/#about-our-rankings

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