 Enrollment began on October 2 , 1876 . Six students enrolled on the first day , and classes officially began on October 4 , 1876 , with six faculty members . During the first semester , enrollment increased to 48 students , and by the end of the spring 1877 semester , 106 students had enrolled . Admission was limited to white males , and all students were required to participate in the Corps of Cadets and receive military training . Although traditional Texas A & M University Corps of Cadets " <unk> " indicate 40 students began classes on October 4 , 1876 , the exact number of students enrolled on that day is unknown . Enrollment climbed to 258 students before declining to 108 students in 1883 , the year the University of Texas opened in Austin , Texas . Though originally envisioned and annotated in the Texas Constitution as a branch of the University of Texas , Texas A.M.C. had a separate Board of Directors from the University of Texas from the first day of classes and was never enveloped into the University of Texas System . 
