Texas public universities continue to climb national rankings despite federal funding freezes, student loan reforms and changes to educational policy.
Forbes has recently released its annual ranking of the nation’s public and private colleges and universities. Among the list, Texas universities have risen, where outcomes and student success measures are improving, according to new data. And, despite ongoing risks to education opportunities, Texas continues to climb the charts as its public universities prove to be among the best in the country.
Forbes’ 2026 national ranking of the nation’s best colleges and universities lists eight of Texas’ public universities as the best in the nation.
- The University of Texas (UT) at Austin – Rank 46.
- Texas A&M University (TAMU) at College Station. – Rank 61.
- The University of Houston (UH) – Rank 107.
- UT-Dallas – Rank 141.
- Texas Tech University – Rank 161.
- The University of North Texas – Rank 238.
- UT-Arlington – Rank 246.
- UT-San Antonio – Rank 300.
The universities were graded based on a series of metrics used to analyze data collected from two federal education databases and additional private sources. These metrics include:
- Alumni salary.
- Debt.
- Graduation rate.
- Forbes American Leaders List.
- Return on investment.
- Retention rate.
- Academic success.
UH stands out as an exemplary indicator of Texas’ increased success and growth with undergraduate education. Compared to the previous year’s list, UH rose by eight overall ranks within the top 500. When accounting for only public universities, however, the institution has breached top 50 in the nation after reaching rank 43.
The university has been making significant progress on achieving academic excellence, showcased by several measures including a 65% six-year graduation rate and its commitment to providing financial aid for disadvantaged students. Its efforts have resulted in students graduating faster with the lowest average student loan debt among Texas Tier One universities.
Among Texas’ top ranked public universities, two are listed among the top 25 in the nation – UT-Austin and TAMU-College Station. UT-Austin comes in at rank 14 and is the only Texas institution named as one of Forbes’ New Public Ivies. TAMU-College Station follows up as the 20th campus included in the list.
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