Longhorns and Aggies are competitive with each other … about everything. From history to culture to athletic prowess to academic standing, if there are University of Texas fans and Texas A&M fans in the same room, they are arguing about who’s best.
Traditionally, Texas has always been ahead of the Aggies in sports and in the classroom. There are years, or even eras, where the Aggies field a better team. Texas is 77–37–5 in football against A&M. If the Aggies won this game 40 years in a row they would catch Texas in the year 2065.
Both institutions are among the best ranked state schools in America. But once again, UT is just a little bit better. Texas is an original “Public Ivy,” a term originated in a 1985 book that listed the best state and public schools in America. UT was on the original list and remains in the top 10 public universities in the country, coming in at No. 7.
We’ve produced a lot of SEC rankings. Helmets, mascots, famous alumni, you name it. Here is a summary of where the two schools rank against each other in all areas.
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Best Academically
The University of Texas has always been the best ranked academic state school. UT is academically in the Top 30 overall across the nation combining both private and public schools. But A&M has always been No. 2 in the state. The Aggies sit just outside the top 50 nationally. Both are very good educations.
No. 2 (tie) in SEC: University of Texas – Austin, Texas
U.S. News & World Report Ranking: 30 (tie) | Acceptance Rate: 29%
Overview: The University of Texas—Austin is a public institution founded in 1883. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 42,444 (fall 2023). Its setting is urban, and the campus size is 431 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. The University of Texas—Austin’s ranking in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, No. 30. Its in-state tuition and fees are $11,678; out-of-state tuition and fees are $42,778. More Info
Academics: The student-faculty ratio at The University of Texas—Austin is 19:1, and the school has 36.4% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at The University of Texas—Austin include: Engineering; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; Social Sciences; Health Professions and Related Programs; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Psychology; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; and Visual and Performing Arts. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 96%. More Info
No. 5 in SEC: Texas A&M University – College Station, Texas
U.S. News & World Report Ranking: 51 (tie) | Acceptance Rate: 63%
Overview: Texas A&M University is a public institution that was founded in 1876. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 59,933 (fall 2023). Its setting is city, and the campus size is 5,200 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Texas A&M University’s ranking in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, No. 51. Its in-state tuition and fees are $12,413; out-of-state tuition and fees are $40,307. More Info
Academics: The student-faculty ratio at Texas A&M University is 19:1, and the school has 24.6% of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Texas A&M University include: Engineering; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Agricultural / Animal / Plant / Veterinary Science and Related Fields; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Health Professions and Related Programs; Social Sciences; Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians; Psychology; and Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 94%. More Info
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Best Live Mascot
It is hard to beat Bevo! The Aggies have a cute dog. But a lot of people have a dog. My neighbor has a dog. In fact, he has two. A steer with 7-foot horns is special. Besides, Bevo knows how to handle dogs.
1. Bevo XV: Longhorn Steer – Texas Longhorns
Who else could be No. 1?
Weighing just shy of a ton with a horn span of about seven feet tip to tip, Bevo has been the mascot at the University of Texas for a century.
Bevo’s official handlers are the Silver Spurs, a spirit organization made up of mostly fraternity members. Bevo XV is owned by Betty and John Baker’s Sunrise Ranch in Liberty Hill, Texas. The Ranch also owned predecessors Bevo XIII and Bevo XIV.
If you don’t believe Bevo is the new king of mascots in the SEC, just ask Uga.
10. Reveille X: Collie – Texas A&M Aggies
Reveille is the highest-ranking member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.
Let that sink in. She’s not a mascot. She’s their leader.
Also called the First Lady of Aggieland, “Miss Rev” dates to 1931. Reveille III was the first collie.
When they die, the Reveilles are buried in a special cemetery near Kyle Field. The bodies are laid facing the south end zone and the scoreboard. After a Kyle Field expansion blocked the view, a small scoreboard was placed outside the stadium so the dogs can still “see” the score.
Now let that sink in.
Reveille VI was kidnapped in 1993 by a group of University of Texas students. For almost a week, Texas A&M denied the mascot had been stolen. After the school finally acknowledged her disappearance and released a statement about possible felony charges for the culprits, Reveille was found tied to a sign post near Lake Travis. She was returned unharmed to Texas A&M and resumed her duties running the Corps.
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Best Helmet
Both helmets are instantly recognizable nationwide. But the Texas Longhorns helmet, mostly unchanged for decades, is one of the most iconic symbols in college football. The Aggies do change their helmet based on whatever uniform combination the team is throwing out that week.
1. Texas Longhorns
Who else? Texas is consistently ranked as one of the best helmets in all of college football.
There’s no logo more recognizable in the sport than Texas’ longhorn logo. Oozing with history and tradition, Texas has never cycled through alternate versions or tweaked the design much. Texas has stuck with the white and burnt orange and it isn’t changing anytime soon.
The current logo design has been used on helmets since 1961. The logo IS Texas tradition. Texas used to include the player numbers on the helmets above the logo. But since 1970, the helmet has been mostly unchanged.
Another historically iconic helmet. Through ups and downs on the field, the Longhorns have always sported one of the best and most traditional helmets in the game.
10. Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies. It’s fine. The A-T-M logo has been around since 1972. The current version with the larger block logo has been the most used and is the most identifiable.
A&M will use alternate versions. The Aggies have tried a white version, a black version and a version with a state of Texas outline. Last year, they had “Aggies” in cursive on a black matte helmet.
The standard Aggie helmet is recognizable. But it’s hard to be iconic if you can’t settle on one look.
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Best Fight Song
Most sports fans in American have heard “Texas Fight!.” Most can probably hum along to it. The Aggie War Hymn is known, but no one outside of Aggies or frequent opponents remember the tune.
2. Texas Longhorns: “Texas Fight”
“Texas Fight!” Isn’t it great? Longhorns fans are lucky to have such a great, recognizable fight song and an even better alma mater. The song has all the hallmarks of a good fight song. It’s rousing. It has a great intro, and it’s easy to sing along to.
“Texas Fight” has the best attribute a fight song can have: It is instantly identifiable. Three notes in and you know. It is one of those songs that rings in the ears of opposing fans for days.
Texas Fight, Texas Fight, And it’s goodbye to A&M. Texas Fight, Texas Fight, And we’ll put over one more win.Texas Fight, Texas Fight, For it’s Texas that we love best. Give ’em hell, Give ’em hell, Go Horns Go!” And it’s good-bye to all the rest!
Yea Orange! Yea White! Yea Longhorns! Fight! Fight! Fight! Texas Fight! Texas Fight, Yea Texas Fight! Texas Fight! Texas Fight, Yea Texas Fight!
The Eyes of Texas are upon you, All the livelong day. The Eyes of Texas are upon you, You cannot get away. Texas Fight, Texas Fight, For it’s Texas that we love best. Give ’em hell, Give ’em hell, Go Horns Go!” And it good-bye to all the rest!
10. Texas A&M Aggies: “Aggie War Hymn”
The “Aggie War Hymn” doesn’t sound like a fight song. They like to be different at A&M and, as a fight song, the “Aggie War Hymn” is different. The intro is almost identical to the “Mickey Mouse Club” theme. The tune is also very long for a fight song.
While other fight songs like “Texas Fight” and “Yea Alabama” mention school rivals in the lyrics, more than half of the Aggie War Hymn talks about trying to beat Texas. Which is admittedly rare. There are also so many nonsensical words.
That said, it is recognizable and identifiable with Texas A&M. Most of the fight songs lower on this list can’t say that.
Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck! Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck! All hail to dear old Texas A&M Rally around Maroon and White Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies They are the boys who show the real old fight That good old Aggie spirit thrills us And makes us yell and yell and yell So let’s fight for dear old Texas A&M We’re going to beat you all to Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem Rough Tough! Real Stuff! Texas A&M! Good-bye to texas university So long to the orange and the white Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies They are the boys that show the real old fight “The eyes of Texas are upon you . . .” That is the song they sing so well (Sounds like Hell!) So good-bye to texas university We’re going to beat you all to Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem Rough Tough! Real Stuff! Texas A&M
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Most Unique Course Offered
Texas Football Life recently went through the course guides for all 16 SEC members to see what the most unique course offering each institution of higher learning offered. Some might not be surprised that the Aggies were dead last.
3. Texas: Arguing the End of the World
Description: An upper-division course that explores the broad history of global connections, global policies, and legal frameworks. Develop global communication strategies and tactics. Examine intercultural communication, cultural humility, and cultural competence. Full Details
Analysis: This class has received a good amount of notoriety in the State of Texas. Several newspapers and publications have done stories on this class, especially as the political rancor in American grows.
16. Texas A&M: Texas Barbecue
Description: A brief history of barbecue, food safety overview, different cooking methods, fuel, flavor, specific methods for different meats and proteins. Students also learn how to smoke briskets, cook in different styles, cooking whole pigs and Thanksgiving turkey. Full Details
Analysis: This class sounds great. You learn to cook all forms of barbecue, including some pretty exotic methods. I’m sure the students that take this class are well fed that semester. But we’ve ranked it low because, at its core, it’s just a cooking class. It’s a slight step up from what most community colleges offer at night for adult continuing education. Ultimately, the most unique offering at A&M is a cooking class.
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Safest Campus
Our first category win for the Aggies. The small town nature of College Station certainly helps A&M in this ranking. The UT campus is literally downtown adjacent in one of the biggest booming cities on earth. Niche.com has ranked the safety colleges and universities in the nation.
5. Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
Overall Safety Grade: B | Full Safety Report
Safety Survey: 95% of students say they feel extremely safe and secure on campus.
Campus Police: How visible are the campus police on campus?
14. University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Overall Safety Grade: C+ | Full Safety Report
Safety Survey: 81% of students say they feel extremely safe and secure on campus.
Campus Police: How visible are the campus police on campus?
Texas vs. Texas A&M: Most Famous Alumni
With the huge institutions in the SEC, most schools have their own list of famous people that attended or graduated from there. We picked the most famous celebrity from each institution of higher learning and ranked the SEC members based on the fame of that list of 16 illustrious alumni.
Celebrity Alumni Rankings Criteria:
2. Matthew McConaughey, actor – Texas Longhorns
McConaughey’s big break came just a few months after graduating from Texas when he was tabbed to play David Wooderson in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused. He went on to win an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club.
8. Lyle Lovett, musician – Texas A&M Aggies
Possibly most famous for being married to Julia Roberts at one point, Lovett has been a staple in the Texas music scene for decades.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Comparing Texas vs. Texas A&M academically, by helmet, mascot and more
Reporting by Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
