@midclassdad you are right, there is more to choosing a school than just based on rankings. Getting into Engineering Honors, scholarships and research opportunities can make a difference.
Both schools are well known for their engineering programs in Texas. Good companies hire from both schools.
In fact, Payscale ranks A&M higher that UT for ROI.
http://today.tamu.edu/2014/04/01/texas-am-among-top-4-public-universities-nationally-for-affordability-and-high-return-on-investment/
It’s unfortunate your son did not get into A&M for engineering, but you can’t go wrong with UT.