Top 10 Best Colleges in Texas
1. Rice University
- Location: Houston, TX
- Founded – 1912
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1460-1570
- Middle 50% ACT: 34-36
- Undergrade Enrollment: 4,076
- Tuition Fees – $52,895
Rice University is one of the prestigious universities and colleges in the South commonly referred to as the “Southern Ivies.”Rice University is a private institution that was founded in 1912.Its setting is urban, and the campus size is 300 acres.It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.Rice University’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #17 Its tuition fees are $52,895.The university has a very high level of research activity, with $156 million in sponsored research funding in 2019.It is noted for its applied science programs in the fields of artificial heart research, structural chemical analysis, signal processing, space science, and nanotechnology.
It is located in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, offers a dynamic student life in the nation’s fourth-largest city.The Rice Coffeehouse, Valhalla Pub and Willy’s Pub are all student-run institutions offering on-campus food and drink.Before stepping foot on campus, all students are assigned to one of 11 residential colleges, of which they remain members even if they decide to move off campus.The residential colleges provide housing, dining, and academic and social events. The Rice Owls boast 14 varsity NCAA Division I athletic teams and are well known for their strong baseball program. Students receive free tickets to all varsity athletic events.This is the Best Colleges in Texas.
The university is organized into eleven residential colleges and eight schools of academic study, including the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, the George R. Brown School of Engineering, the School of Social Sciences, School of Architecture, Shepherd School of Music and the School of Humanities. Rice’s undergraduate program offers more than fifty majors and two dozen minors, and allows a high level of flexibility in pursuing multiple degree programs.Additional graduate programs are offered through the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business and the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.Rice students are bound by the strict Honor Code, which is enforced by a student-run Honor Council.
2. University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)
- Location: Austin, TX
- Founded – 1883
- Acceptance Rate: 32%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1230-1480
- Middle 50% ACT: 26-34
- Undergrad Enrollment: 40,048
- Tuition Fees In State – $11,448
- Tuition Fees Out of State – $40,032
University of Texas at Austin is a public institution that was founded in 1883. The University of Texas was included in the Association of American Universities in 1929. The institution is composed of over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff.Its setting is urban, and the campus size is 437 acres.It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.University of Texas at Austin’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #38.Its in-state tuition and fees are $11,448; out-of-state tuition and fees are $40,032.
It is a major center for academic research, with research expenditures totaling $679.8 million for fiscal year 2018.The university houses seven museums and seventeen libraries, including the LBJ Presidential Library and the Blanton Museum of Art, and operates various auxiliary research facilities, such as the J. J. Pickle Research Campus and the McDonald Observatory.As of November 2020, 13 Nobel Prize winners, four Pulitzer Prize winners, two Turing Award winners, two Fields medalists, two Wolf Prize winners, and two Abel prize winners have been affiliated with the school as alumni, faculty members or researchers.As of 2021 its students and alumni have earned a total of 155 Olympic medals.
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest schools in the nation.It’s divided into 13 schools and colleges, the biggest of which is the College of Liberal Arts.It also has highly ranked graduate programs, including the McCombs School of Business, Cockrell School of Engineering and School of Nursing.Students can participate in more than 1,000 clubs and organizations or in the sizable UT Greek system. The university has several student media outlets, and its sports teams are notorious competitors in the Division I Big 12 Conference.UT also offers hundreds of study abroad programs, with the most popular destinations being Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and China.
3.Southern Methodist University (SMU)
- Location: Dallas, TX
- Founded – 1911
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1250-1440
- Middle 50% ACT: 29-33
- Undergrad Enrollment: 6,827
- Tuition Fees – $60,236
SMU is a private institution that was founded in 1911.Its setting is urban, and the campus size is 234 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. SMU’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #68. Its tuition and fees are $60,236.In this article you can check Top Colleges in Texas.
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private research university in University Park, Texas, US with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico.It is nonsectarian in its teaching and enrolls students of all religious affiliations.It is classified among “R-2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity”.As of fall 2020, the university had 12,373 students, including 6,827 undergraduates and 5,546 postgraduates, representing the largest student body in SMU history.
The school was founded by what became the United Methodist Church in 1911, but it is now home to students of many religious affiliations. Outdoor activities are plentiful in Dallas, a city that boasts an average of 232 days of sunshine a year.Students can check out the Dallas International Film Festival, which draws 40,000 viewers annually, or explore the more than 400 parks in the city. Students are required to live on campus for their first two years at SMU.
In the 2020 academic year, the university granted over 3,827 degrees, including 315 doctorates, 1,659 master’s and 1,853 bachelor’s degrees and offers over 32 doctoral and over 120 masters programs from eight schools: the Edwin L. Cox School of Business, the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, the Dedman School of Law, the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering, the Algur H. Meadows School of the Arts, the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Perkins School of Theology, and the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.
Best Colleges in Texas
4.Texas A&M University
- Location: College Station, TX
- Founded – 1876
- Acceptance Rate: 63%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1170-1380
- Middle 50% ACT: 26-32
- Undergrad Enrollment: 55,568
- Tuition Fees in state – $13,178
- Tuition Fees out of state – $40,087
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public land-grant research university in College Station, Texas.It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948.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 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #68. Its in-state tuition and fees are $13,178; out-of-state tuition and fees are $40,087.
The first public institution of higher education in Texas, the school opened for classes on October 4, 1876, as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (A.M.C.) under the provisions of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts.The university offers degrees in more than 130 courses of study through 17 colleges and houses 21 research institutes.As a Senior Military College, Texas A&M is one of six American universities with a full-time, volunteer Corps of Cadets who study alongside civilian undergraduate students.
Students can choose from more than 1,000 clubs and organizations, including nearly 60 fraternities and sororities. About 10% of students go Greek. More students, about 25%, play in Texas A&M intramural sports leagues, one of the largest programs in the country. The school’s varsity sports compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, cheered on by mascot Reveille IX, a collie.First-year students interested in community service can get involved right away through the Freshmen in Service and Hosting program (FISH).
5. Baylor University
- Location: Waco, TX
- Founded – 1845
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1200-1350
- Middle 50% ACT: 26-31
- Undergrad Enrollment: 14,399
- Tuition Fees – $50,232
Baylor University is a private research university in Waco, Texas.Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas.It is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River in the United States.It is located on the banks of the Brazos River next to I-35, between the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and Austin, the university’s 1,000-acre (400-hectare) campus is the largest Baptist university in the world.
As of fall, 2021, Baylor had a total enrollment of 20,626 (undergraduate 15,191, graduate 5,435).It is classified among “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity”.The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees.It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Baylor University’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #75. Its tuition and fees are $50,232.
The student community at Baylor University is bound together largely by religion and service.The Waco, Texas, school is a private, Baptist institution, and its student body is particularly active in volunteerism. Each semester, students donate a collective 12,000 hours of time to service projects through a one-day program called Steppin’ Out.Students can volunteer year-round through the school’s Urban Missions, which coordinates service projects in the local community, and Global Missions, which sends students abroad.
6.Texas Christian University
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Founded – 1873
- Acceptance Rate: 48%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1120-1310
- Middle 50% ACT: 25-31
- Undergrad Enrollment: 9,704
- Tuition Fees – $51,660
Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university, in Fort Worth, Texas.It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College.It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,704 (fall 2020), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 272 acres.It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.Texas Christian University’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #83.The university consists of eight constituent colleges and schools and has a classical liberal arts curriculum. It is classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity”
Texas Christian University is the biggest religious university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is open to students of any faith. There are more than 20 religious organizations for students to join, among more than 200 others.The campus is about five miles from downtown Fort Worth, a historic area that still has an Old West feel. Students can check out live bull riding shows at Billy Bob’s, a restaurant that is billed as the world’s largest honky-tonk, or catch a rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum. Dallas is about 35 miles away.
The TCU campus is divided into roughly three areas: a residential area, an academic area, and Worth Hills. The two main areas of campus, the residential and academic areas, are separated by University Drive, an oak-lined street that bisects the campus. Residence halls, the Student Union, and the Campus Commons are all located to the West of University Drive, while the library, chapel, and most academic buildings are located to the East of it. All of TCU’s surrounding streets are lined by live oaks.
The student population at TCU in 2020–2021 was 11,379, with 9,704 undergraduates and 1,675 graduate students. Women make up about 58% of the student population, while men make up about 42%.
2022 Best Colleges in Texas
7. University of Texas at Dallas
- Location: Richardson, TX
- Founded – 1961
- Acceptance Rate: 78%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1250-1450
- Middle 50% ACT: 26-33
- Undergrad Enrollment: 20,994
- Tuition Fees in state – $14,564
- Tuition Fees out of state – $39,776
The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD or UT Dallas) is a public research university in Richardson, Texas.It is the largest public university in the Dallas area and the northernmost institution of the University of Texas system. It was founded in 1969 as a public institution.It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,187 (fall 2020), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 500 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Texas at Dallas’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #136. Its in-state tuition and fees are $14,564; out-of-state tuition and fees are $39,776.
The university is associated with four Nobel Prizes and has members of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering on its faculty with the most notable research projects including the areas of Space Science, Bioengineering, Cybersecurity, Nanotechnology, and Behavioral and Brain Sciences. UT Dallas offers more than 140 academic programs across its eight schools and hosts more than 50 research centers and institutes.
The college has a Division III athletics program in the American Southwest Conference and fields 14 intercollegiate teams, including a nationally recognized co-ed varsity Esports program.Additionally, the university recruits worldwide for its Top 4 collegiate chess team.
8. University of Houston
- Location: Houston, TX
- Founded : 1927
- Acceptance Rate: 62%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1140-1290
- Middle 50% ACT: 22-28
- Undergrad Enrollment: 39,165
- Tuition Fees for In-state : $11,870
- Tuition Fees for out-of-state : $27,110
The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System and the third-largest university in Texas with over 47,000 students.It was known as University of Houston–University Park from 1983 to 1991.The university is classified as an “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity”.It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 39,165 (fall 2020), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 895 acres.It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Houston’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #179. Its in-state tuition and fees are $11,870; out-of-state tuition and fees are $27,110.
The university offers more than 358 degree programs through its 16 academic colleges and schools on campus—including programs leading to professional degrees in architecture, law, optometry, medicine and pharmacy.The University of Houston is situated in one of the largest cities in the country, which puts students in an ideal location to find internships and research opportunities. The campus is located in downtown Houston, and freshmen are not required to live on campus. Each year, students turn the campus into a town called Fiesta City in time for the Frontier Fiesta, a string of concerts, talent shows, cook-offs and more. There are more than 400 student organizations to check out, including fraternities and sororities. The UH Cougars compete in the NCAA Division I American Athletic Conference and are well known for football and basketball.
9.Texas Tech University
- Location: Lubbock, TX
- Founded : 1923
- Acceptance Rate: 70%
- Undergrad Enrollment: 33,269
- Tuition Fees for In-state : $11,852
- Tuition Fees for out-of-state : $24,092
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University System.It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 33,269 (fall 2020), its setting is city, and the campus size is 1,839 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Texas Tech University’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #213. Its in-state tuition and fees are $11,852; out-of-state tuition and fees are $24,092.
The university offers degrees in more than 150 courses of study through 13 colleges and hosts 60 research centers and institutes. Texas Tech University has awarded over 200,000 degrees since 1927, including over 40,000 graduate and professional degrees. Texas Tech is classified among “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity.
Texas Tech University is a large research institution in the college town of Lubbock. Students are required to live on campus until they have completed 30 hours of course work. The Texas Tech Red Raiders sports teams compete in the NCAA Big 12 Conference and are particularly competitive in football and basketball.Texas Tech University is a large research institution in the college town of Lubbock. Students are required to live on campus until they have completed 30 hours of course work. The Texas Tech Red Raiders sports teams compete in the NCAA Big 12 Conference and are particularly competitive in football and basketball.
10. Sam Houston State University
- Location: Huntsville, TX
- Founded : 1879
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Undergrad Enrollment: 18,790
- Tuition Fees for In-state : $11,034
- Tuition Fees for out-of-state : $23,274
Sam Houston State University (SHSU or Sam) is a public university in Huntsville, Texas. It was founded in 1879 and is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools west of the Mississippi River and the first in Texas. It is named for Sam Houston, who made his home in the city and is buried there.It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 18,790 (fall 2020), its setting is rural, and the campus size is 368 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Sam Houston State University’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #249. Its in-state tuition and fees are $11,034; out-of-state tuition and fees are $23,274.
The university also offers more than 20 online bachelor’s and graduate degrees.Here are 80 undergraduate, 59 master’s, and 10 doctoral degree programs.
Sam Houston State University admissions is selective with an acceptance rate of 92%. Half the applicants admitted to Sam Houston State have an SAT score between 970 and 1120 or an ACT score of 18 and 23. However, one quarter of admitted applicants achieved scores above these ranges and one quarter scored below these ranges. The application deadline is Aug. 1 and the application fee at Sam Houston State University is $50.
