The new 2027 Top 100 Best Colleges rankings were released this week and six of them are located in Texas.
U.S. News & World Report released its yearly ranking of each college and university on Sept. 22, after evaluating more than 1,700 schools using factors like graduation rates, student-faculty ratios and other measures of academic performance.
While several major public and private colleges and universities were able to make the top 100 list, several did not but did receive a national ranking in the top 250 —
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No. 121 — University of Texas at Dallas
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No. 137 — University of Houston
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No. 186 — Texas Tech University
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No. 202 — University of St. Thomas
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No. 208 — University of North Texas
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No. 227 — University of Texas at San Antonio
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No. 236 — University of Texas at Arlington
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No. 250 — University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Here’s a look at which schools cracked the top 100 and where they landed.
the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas, June 23, 2016. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, upheld the practice of considering race in college admissions
Rice University ranking
Ranking: No. 16.
Rice University is a private institution that was founded in 1912. In the 2027 edition of Best Colleges, Rice University is ranked No. 16 among national universities. It’s also ranked No. 8 in lowest acceptance rates.
It had a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,807 in fall 2025; it is located in a city, and the campus is 300 acres. The student-faculty ratio at Rice University is six to one, and it uses a semester-based academic calendar.
University of Texas at Austin ranking
Ranking: No. 34.
The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution that was founded in 1883. In the 2027 edition of Best Colleges, the University of Texas at Austin is ranked No. 34 in national universities. It’s also ranked No. 8 in top public schools.
It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 44,314 as of fall 2025; it is located in a city and has a campus size of 441 acres. The student-faculty ratio at the University of Texas at Austin is 22 to one, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.
Texas A&M University ranking
Ranking: No. 59 (tie).
Texas A&M University is a public institution that was founded in 1876. In the 2027 edition of Best Colleges, Texas A&M University is ranked No. 59 among national universities. It’s also ranked No. 24 in top public schools.
It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 62,031 as of fall 2025; it is located in a city, and its campus is 5,200 acres. The student-faculty ratio at Texas A&M University is 20 to one, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.
Southern Methodist University ranking
Ranking: No. 85 (tie).
Southern Methodist University is a private institution that was founded in 1911. In the 2027 edition of Best Colleges, Southern Methodist University is ranked No. 85 in national universities. It’s also ranked No. 46 in top private schools.
It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,545 as of fall 2025; it is located in a city, and the campus covers 234 acres. The student-faculty ratio at Southern Methodist University is 11 to one, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.
Baylor University, Texas Christian University rankings
Ranking: No. 90 (tie).
Baylor University is a private institution that was founded in 1845. In the 2027 edition of Best Colleges, Baylor University is ranked No. 90 among national universities. It’s also ranked No. 25 in best undergraduate teaching.
It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 14,183 as of fall 2025; it is located in a city, and its campus is 1,000 acres. The student-faculty ratio at Baylor University is 14 to one, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.
Texas Christian University is a private institution that was founded in 1873. In the 2027 edition of Best Colleges, Texas Christian University is ranked No. 90 among national universities. It’s also ranked No. 48 in lowest acceptance rates.
It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 11,152 as of fall 2025; it is located in a city, and its campus is 312 acres. The student-faculty ratio at Texas Christian University is 13 to one, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky, and @eptmariacg on TikTok.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 6 Texas colleges crack US News’ 2027 Top 100 Best Colleges list
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