Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management at Texas A&M University-College Station

Texas A&M's fisheries program faces a common challenge in natural resource careers: modest starting salaries that improve with experience. Graduates earn $33,410 initially—essentially matching the national median—but see respectable 18% growth to $39,379 by year four. While the $24,114 debt load is manageable in absolute terms, it represents 72% of first-year earnings, making those early years financially tight. As the only program of its kind in Texas, comparing it to state benchmarks isn't particularly meaningful, but nationally it lands in the middle of the pack.

The small sample size here matters more than usual. With fewer than 30 recent graduates reporting, a handful of outliers could significantly skew these figures either direction. This might explain why the program ranks at the 53rd percentile nationally for earnings despite matching the national median exactly—the data's too thin to draw firm conclusions about consistent outcomes.

For families considering this path, understand you're looking at a passion-driven field where financial payoff comes slowly. If your student is genuinely committed to fisheries management and willing to live frugally for a few years after graduation, the combination of Texas A&M's strong reputation in agricultural sciences and relatively contained debt makes this workable. But don't choose this route hoping for quick financial returns—the career trajectory simply doesn't support that.