Is USC or Texas A&M more affordable for a Texas resident?

For a Texas resident, Texas A6M will almost certainly be far more affordable than USC unless USC gives you an unusually large need-based aid package or major merit scholarship. Texas A6M’s in-state tuition and fees are substantially lower, and living in College Station is typically less expensive than living near USC in Los Angeles. AM’s Texas resident pricing gives you a built-in cost advantage that USC, as a private university, does not match automatically.

USC charges the same base tuition regardless of state residency, and its total cost of attendance is high because tuition, housing, meals, health insurance, transportation, and personal expenses in Los Angeles add up quickly. However, USC can be worth comparing carefully if your family demonstrates significant financial need: its institutional need-based grant aid may reduce the published price considerably. Do not assume that a private university’s sticker price is your final cost, but wait for its official aid offer before ruling it out.

Texas AM is especially compelling for a student who wants to keep undergraduate debt low, expects limited need-based aid, or may need four years of predictable costs. Look closely at AM’s university, college, and departmental scholarships, as well as Texas-based outside awards. Some scholarships can also help with housing and other expenses, not just tuition.

Compare the two schools using each college’s net price calculator now, then compare the final annual net cost shown in your actual aid offers: grants and scholarships first, followed by any work-study, and loans listed separately. Unless USC’s grant aid brings its net price close to AM’s in-state cost, Texas AM is likely the financially safer choice.