Best colleges in Texas

Dreams Are Bigger Here

Best burritos, religious football, and happy employees

Texas is not lacking in self-esteem. From huge barbecue platters to ten-gallon hats, this Southern state is loud, proud, and a wonderful place to indulge in university life. Texas is home to 36 different public universities, as well as a multitude of private colleges. The state has also played host to a women’s university since 1901, which also happens to be the largest nursing doctoral program in the nation.* With a 5.2% unemployment rate, chances are good you’ll find a start to your career after graduation. With diplomas in hand, many new graduates go on to work in hospitals, technology centers, and a variety of other fields. And they’re happy doing it, as Texas ranked 7th in the country for happiness at work.* Local job opportunities include Blue Bell Creameries, Bartlett Electric Cooperative, and the OpenSpirit Corporation.*

On your downtime, take in some great country music, go to a football game, or test your taste limits on the state’s countless hot sauces. In Dallas, the Lakewood Yacht Club is home to great lunch items and a full service bar attracting people of all kinds. Tap into your science side at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Go back in time for an education at the Alamo, Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, or the USS Lexington. Finally, join in with the “biggest” football state in the country and battle it out between Cowboys and Texans fans. You’ll be sure to make some big memories and a big impact here in the Lone Star State.

Click Here to See the Best Colleges in the US*Bureau of Labor Statistics *Wikipedia, “List of colleges and universities in Texas”, “List of Companies based in Texas” *www.traveltex.com *www.alternet.org

Best Four Year Universities in Texas

Rice University
Houston, TX

Rice University is a private institution in Houston, Texas that has a total undergraduate enrollment of about 7,000 students. The university has a 300-acre campus that abuts the Houston Zoo and Texas Medical Center. Students take classes that follow a semester-based academic calendar, and the university provides merit and need-based scholarships to most students. 

Rice has a rich academic history including the Cao Center for Asian Studies, the Boniuk Institute, and the Ken Kennedy Institute of Information Technology. Students at Rice can explore Houston’s Museum District, walk along Hermann Park, and take advantage of Houston’s METRORail system which is just across from the main campus. 

Many students benefit from Rice’s small classes and 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The university also provides students with over 360 undergraduate and graduate degree options in over 60 academic departments. Outside of the classroom, students interested in media and journalism can participate in a variety of student-led organizations like The Rice Thresher, The Campanile, and KTRU Rice Radio. Notable alumni include pilot Howard Hughes, writer Joyce Carol Oates, and American investor John Doerr.

Trinity University
San Antonio, TX

Trinity University offers 68 degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 640 students graduated with students earning 545 Bachelor's degrees, and 95 Master's degrees.

Find Online Schools

The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) is a public research university founded in 1883 in Austin, Texas with an undergraduate enrollment of roughly 50,000. UT Austin is a hub in Texas for academic research and consists of nationally renowned facilities including the LBJ Presidential Library and the Blanton Museum of Art. 

The university is in an urban setting with a campus located just north of the Colorado River in downtown Austin, with classes operating according to a semester-based academic calendar. The current student-faculty ratio at UT is 18:1, among the lowest in the UT system. UT Austin is made up of 18 colleges including the Cockrell School of Engineering, Moody College of Communication, and the Dell Medical School. Prospective applicants should note that the University of Texas at Austin’s tuition and fees for in-state students are about a quarter the cost of those for out-of-state students. 

UT Austin’s infrastructure on campus consists of seven museums, seventeen libraries, and an elaborate underground tunnel system that covers over six miles. In the athletic forum, the Texas Longhorn teams compete in the BIG-12 and enjoy regional football rivalry with Oklahoma, and locally with Texas Tech and Texas A&M. Notable alumni include actor Matthew McConaughey, film director Wes Anderson, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Southern Methodist University offers 254 degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2020, 3,587 students graduated with students earning 1,648 Master's degrees, 1,571 Bachelor's degrees, 315 Doctoral degrees, and 53 Certificates.

Texas Christian University offers 194 degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 2,740 students graduated with students earning 2,117 Bachelor's degrees, 465 Master's degrees, 103 Doctoral degrees, and 55 Certificates.

Southwestern University
Georgetown, TX

Southwestern University offers 40 degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2020, 311 students graduated with students earning 311 Bachelor's degrees.

Austin College
Sherman, TX

Austin College offers 53 degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2020, 294 students graduated with students earning 274 Bachelor's degrees, and 20 Master's degrees.

Image by Blueag9

Texas A & M University-College Station offers 505 degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2020, 18,303 students graduated with students earning 12,798 Bachelor's degrees, 3,553 Master's degrees, 1,471 Doctoral degrees, and 481 Certificates.

Gemini School of Visual Arts & Communication offers 1 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2020, 3 students graduated with students earning 3 Bachelor's degrees.

Baylor University offers 223 degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2020, 4,689 students graduated with students earning 3,395 Bachelor's degrees, 864 Master's degrees, 423 Doctoral degrees, and 7 Certificates.

Best Community Colleges in Texas

Houston International College Cardiotech Ultrasound School offers 2 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2020, 22 students graduated with students earning 11 Associate's degrees, and 11 Certificates.

School of Automotive Machinists & Technology offers 5 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2020, 86 students graduated with students earning 70 Certificates, and 16 Associate's degrees.

Concorde Career College-Dallas offers 11 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2020, 115 students graduated with students earning 74 Associate's degrees, and 41 Certificates.

Culinary Institute Inc offers 5 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2020, 192 students graduated with students earning 113 Associate's degrees, and 79 Certificates.

Vet Tech Institute of Houston offers 1 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2020, 120 students graduated with students earning 120 Associate's degrees.

Concorde Career College-San Antonio offers 7 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2020, 80 students graduated with students earning 80 Associate's degrees.

Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie offers 7 degree programs. It's a small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large suburb. In 2020, 595 students graduated with students earning 591 Certificates, and 4 Associate's degrees.

Concorde Career College-Grand Prairie offers 7 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large suburb. In 2020, 190 students graduated with students earning 144 Certificates, and 46 Associate's degrees.

Pima Medical Institute-Houston offers 15 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a large city. In 2020, 440 students graduated with students earning 268 Certificates, and 172 Associate's degrees.

Western Technical College offers 9 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 196 students graduated with students earning 122 Associate's degrees, 69 Certificates, and 5 Bachelor's degrees.

List of all colleges in Texas

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Rice University Logo Rice University Houston, TX
5/5
11 : 1 7,643
Trinity University Logo Trinity University San Antonio, TX
5/5
10 : 1 2,677
The University of Texas at Austin Logo The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
3/5
19 : 1 50,476
Southern Methodist University Logo Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
5/5
16 : 1 12,373
Texas Christian University Logo Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
5/5
16 : 1 11,379