
The College Consensus ranking of the Best Colleges in Texas combines the results of the most respected college ranking systems with the averaged ratings of thousands of real student reviews from around the web to create a unique college meta-ranking. This approach offers a comprehensive and holistic perspective missing from other college rankings. Visit our about page for information on which rankings and review sites were included in this year’s consensus rankings.

The Best Colleges & Universities in Texas category is limited to schools in Texas. Schools that did not qualify for a Consensus Score were ranked by their Student Review score.
If you’re interested in undergraduate enrollment for distance learning in Texas, check out our ranking of the Best Online Colleges in Texas. Find out more about Texas college financial aid with our list of the Top Scholarships in Texas.
Recommended Online Colleges & Universities
Visit sites to learn more about enrollment, tuition, and aid
Recommended Online Colleges & Universities
Visit sites to learn more about enrollment, tuition, and aid
Recommended Online Colleges & Universities
Visit sites to learn more about enrollment, tuition, and aid
How to Find the Best Colleges in Texas
As many of us are already aware, not all colleges are created equal. Indeed, no matter what state you live in, you likely have great college options as well as several subpar secondary institutions. Given that Texas is a massive state with 29 million residents with approximately 143 colleges, finding the best colleges in Texas can be a difficult task. Texas also has one of the highest levels of undergraduate enrollment in sheer numbers. That said, the following is a list of tips to help you find the best Texas colleges as well as a list of some of the best Texas universities, according to experts.
If you’re interested in joining the student body of a Hispanic-serving institution, Texas is home to many! Texas has numerous prestigious universities, and any colleges ranking will have more than a few Texas schools.
If you are searching for the best colleges in Texas, you need to complete the following steps:
- Choose Your Major: One of the top ways to find the best Texas universities is to choose your major ahead of time. Before you can begin your search, you need to decide what you wish to major in. While there are many schools that are great overall, there are also colleges that specialize in certain things. Therefore, you need to strongly consider what you want to major in before you can find the best colleges for you.
- College Fairs: From there, you can attend college fairs in Texas. This will allow you to meet with recruiters, ask questions, and find out what each college has to offer you.
- Meet them at School: Additionally, if you are still in high school, college recruiters will likely be visiting your school. Take every opportunity to meet with them and find out what they have to offer you.
- Check Your Email: Another way to find the best colleges in Texas is by checking your email. This is because many colleges send out emails to alert you of upcoming events and other opportunities to meet with recruiters, undergraduate enrollment, and other members of the faculty.
- Community Service: Colleges love community service on your application, so make sure to get out there and get involved.
Set Your Preferences
Additionally, another thing you need to do is set your preferences in terms of what you are looking for in a college. In particular, you should be making sure it fits your criteria in terms of the following:
- Academics and Majors: As mentioned, you must choose your major before searching for the top colleges in Texas.
- Cost, Financial aid, and Affordability: No matter how great a college may be, it will not matter if you cannot afford it. Be sure to check into how much the college costs for undergraduate enrollment, how much financial aid they offer, if they offer work studies opportunities, the types of scholarships they offer, and more.
- Location or Distance from Your Home: Additionally, the location is very important. Texas is a massive state, and your commute time may make or break your entire college experience. Therefore, you should be sure to find out how long it takes to get to the college from your home.
- Social Life and Campus Community: Social life and the campus community plays a major role in the overall college experience. Be sure to research the college campus communities and social life before you compile your life of the top Texas universities.
- Extracurricular Programs and Athletics: Additionally, be sure to look into the extracurricular activities they offer as well as their athletics programs.
- Size: The size of your college matters. This will affect the size of your classes, how big your graduation class is, the campus life, and more.
- Selectivity: Be sure to find out how the colleges are choosing the students who gain entry.
- Whether the College is Public or Private: Whether the college is a public institution or private university makes a major difference in terms of who attends and what the college life consists of.
- Future Graduate Programs: It’s not a bad idea to think ahead.
Popular Schools
Texas Christian University
Southern Methodist University
Texas Tech University (aka Texas Tech)
Sam Houston State University
Baylor University
Southwestern University
UT Austin (aka University of Texas at Austin)
Rice University
Southwestern University
UT Dallas
University of Houston
Related Rankings:
Best Online Colleges & Universities in Texas
Best Colleges & Universities in the South