The Top 50 Best Colleges in the US is College Raptor’s most prestigious rankings list. Updated annually, these schools are celebrated for their rich histories, stunning campuses, excellent academics, and vibrant student life. The institutions on this list are known for both academic excellence and impressive extracurricular opportunities, making them “dream schools” for students around the world. Use these rankings as a jumping-off point for you to create your own personalized rankings using our college match tool.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice University | 4807 | 8.01 | 1,500 – 1,580 | 23589 | 79751 |
#1
Rice University
|
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | 44314 | 22.22 | 1,260 – 1,500 | 17942 | 60896 |
#2
The University of Texas at Austin
|
| 3 | Southern Methodist University | 7545 | 47.64 | 1,370 – 1,490 | 48179 | 65556 |
#3
Southern Methodist University
|
| 4 | Trinity University | 2423 | 24.88 | 1,340 – 1,490 | 32224 | 55224 |
#4
Trinity University
|
| 5 | Texas Christian University | 11152 | 48.09 | 1,170 – 1,370 | 41848 | 60435 |
#5
Texas Christian University
|
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 60710 | 57.32 | 1,170 – 1,400 | 21437 | 59386 |
#6
Texas A&M University-College Station
|
| 7 | Baylor University | 14183 | 52.22 | 1,210 – 1,400 | 47001 | 56532 |
#7
Baylor University
|
| 8 | The University of Texas at Dallas | 23007 | 69.09 | 1,170 – 1,410 | 14916 | 57249 |
#8
The University of Texas at Dallas
|
| 9 | Southwestern University | 1431 | 43.48 | 1,160 – 1,370 | 32228 | 49249 |
#9
Southwestern University
|
| 10 | Texas Tech University | 34021 | 69.06 | 1,110 – 1,280 | 16919 | 52588 |
Texas Tech University
|
| 11 | University of Houston | 40366 | 75.77 | 1,130 – 1,320 | 14309 | 52768 |
University of Houston
|
| 12 | Austin College | 1181 | 47.68 | 1,120 – 1,340 | 23462 | 45242 |
Austin College
|
| 13 | North American University | 484 | 68.62 | 910 – 1,200 | 16303 | 32221 |
#13
North American University
|
| 14 | Saint Edward's University | 2499 | 81.42 | 1,000 – 1,260 | 28766 | 47743 |
#14
Saint Edward's University
|
| 15 | Abilene Christian University | 5101 | 66.15 | 1,040 – 1,260 | 28760 | 46727 |
Abilene Christian University
|
| 16 | LeTourneau University | 2903 | 48.79 | 1,120 – 1,380 | 29799 | 51058 |
LeTourneau University
|
| 17 | University of North Texas | 34414 | 70.89 | 960 – 1,230 | 15965 | 46304 |
University of North Texas
|
| 18 | St. Mary's University | 2330 | 95.08 | 960 – 1,160 | 20412 | 44130 |
St. Mary's University
|
| 19 | University of St Thomas | 3466 | 83.55 | 980 – 1,210 | 20599 | 49971 |
University of St Thomas
|
| 20 | University of Dallas | 1416 | 73.42 | 1,150 – 1,380 | 29209 | 45950 |
University of Dallas
|
| 21 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | 31127 | 86.79 | 1,010 – 1,220 | 10959 | 46340 |
#21
The University of Texas at San Antonio
|
| 22 | Texas State University | 39353 | 91.18 | 960 – 1,200 | 15716 | 46716 |
Texas State University
|
| 23 | The University of Texas at Tyler | 8219 | 94.85 | 1,000 – 1,200 | 14476 | 49355 |
The University of Texas at Tyler
|
| 24 | Dallas Baptist University | 2938 | 91.31 | 930 – 1,220 | 30057 | 45138 |
#24
Dallas Baptist University
|
| 25 | The University of Texas at Arlington | 32545 | 79.9 | 1,010 – 1,250 | 13755 | 60902 |
The University of Texas at Arlington
|
| 26 | Sam Houston State University | 17822 | 93.72 | 930 – 1,140 | 14737 | 45337 |
Sam Houston State University
|
| 27 | The University of Texas at El Paso | 22223 | 99.94 | 850 – 1,100 | 9305 | 37978 |
The University of Texas at El Paso
|
| 28 | Houston Christian University | 3277 | 86.45 | 980 – 1,220 | 21282 | 44595 |
Houston Christian University
|
| 29 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 29727 | 92.29 | 880 – 1,100 | 5282 | 35812 |
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
|
| 30 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | 6029 | 91.73 | 980 – 1,170 | 14059 | 52098 |
University of Houston-Clear Lake
|
| 31 | University of the Incarnate Word | 4651 | 99.47 | 880 – 1,140 | 23363 | 47625 |
University of the Incarnate Word
|
| 32 | Tarleton State University | 17556 | 53.86 | 1,000 – 1,180 | 16159 | 46729 |
Tarleton State University
|
| 33 | Texas Woman's University | 9962 | 96.58 | 900 – 1,120 | 11636 | 48773 |
Texas Woman's University
|
| 34 | West Texas A & M University | 7110 | 66.81 | 960 – 1,160 | 15572 | 44399 |
West Texas A & M University
|
| 35 | Schreiner University | 1302 | 92.17 | 930 – 1,070 | 22884 | 45527 |
Schreiner University
|
| 36 | Lubbock Christian University | 1383 | 74.73 | 950 – 1,200 | 24544 | 46464 |
Lubbock Christian University
|
| 37 | Stephen F Austin State University | 9905 | 83.39 | 950 – 1,160 | 14959 | 43144 |
Stephen F Austin State University
|
| 38 | Texas A&M International University | 7210 | 44.37 | 890 – 1,100 | 5644 | 37327 |
Texas A&M International University
|
| 39 | Our Lady of the Lake University | 1108 | 100 | 880 – 1,100 | 16999 | 41195 |
Our Lady of the Lake University
|
| 40 | Angelo State University | 10103 | 79.81 | 930 – 1,160 | 14048 | 41050 |
Angelo State University
|
| 41 | Southwestern Adventist University | 758 | 78.36 | 920 – 1,210 | 20466 | 43643 |
#41
Southwestern Adventist University
|
| 42 | Hardin-Simmons University | 1291 | 86.2 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 19811 | 44392 |
Hardin-Simmons University
|
| 43 | East Texas Baptist University | 1663 | 73.06 | 930 – 1,190 | 25092 | 41759 |
East Texas Baptist University
|
| 44 | Texas Lutheran University | 1319 | 95.71 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 25119 | 48125 |
Texas Lutheran University
|
| 45 | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | 2775 | 97.47 | 1,000 – 1,210 | 27651 | 48368 |
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
|
| 46 | Prairie View A & M University | 9022 | 78.36 | 850 – 1,070 | 14448 | 36350 |
Prairie View A & M University
|
| 47 | Nelson University | 1526 | 89.02 | 890 – 1,090 | 22359 | 37425 |
Nelson University
|
| 48 | Midwestern State University | 4303 | 93.47 | 950 – 1,160 | 11215 | 46637 |
Midwestern State University
|
| 49 | The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary | 354 | 57.71 | 1,050 – 1,260 | 16497 | 53001 |
The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
|
| 50 | Lamar University | 8387 | 83.53 | 920 – 1,160 | 9814 | 47077 |
Lamar University
|
| 51 | McMurry University | 4133 | 89.84 | 980 – 1,230 | 20723 | 38647 |
McMurry University
|
| 52 | University of North Texas at Dallas | 2953 | 84.45 | 850 – 1,100 | 7586 | 51716 |
University of North Texas at Dallas
|
| 53 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | 5386 | 90.92 | 890 – 1,100 | 12812 | 44882 |
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
|
| 54 | The University of Texas Permian Basin | 3991 | 96.54 | 910 – 1,110 | 13563 | 50020 |
The University of Texas Permian Basin
|
| 55 | Texas A&M University-Commerce | 9666 | 74.98 | 930 – 1,150 | 12327 | 43157 |
#55
Texas A&M University-Commerce
|
| 56 | Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi | 8673 | 91.56 | 980 – 1,210 | 15233 | 42933 |
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
|
| 57 | Texas Wesleyan University | 1796 | 69.16 | 1,020 – 1,100 | 26416 | 44773 |
Texas Wesleyan University
|
| 58 | Concordia University Texas | 1189 | 91.25 | 860 – 1,120 | 24723 | 48058 |
Concordia University Texas
|
| 59 | University of Houston-Downtown | 12441 | 87.9 | 870 – 1,080 | 10832 | 49120 |
University of Houston-Downtown
|
| 60 | Huston-Tillotson University | 1024 | 39.09 | 850 – 1,250 | 20355 | 38342 |
Huston-Tillotson University
|
| 61 | Texas A&M University-Texarkana | 1994 | 63.54 | 890 – 1,110 | 12747 | 41785 |
#61
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
|
| 62 | Texas A&M University-Victoria | 2627 | 52.53 | 890 – 1,110 | 6754 | 44888 |
Texas A&M University-Victoria
|
| 63 | Texas A&M University-San Antonio | 6790 | 94.47 | 850 – 1,080 | 11568 | 43479 |
#63
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
|
| 64 | Howard Payne University | 751 | 67.37 | 890 – 1,200 | 25750 | 38212 |
#64
Howard Payne University
|
| 65 | South Texas College | 27431 | 0 | -- | 1844 | 28239 | |
| 66 | Sul Ross State University | 1890 | 98.71 | 910 – 1,130 | 14454 | 34340 |
Sul Ross State University
|
| 67 | Texas Southern University | 6844 | 96.91 | 820 – 1,010 | 13584 | 32986 |
Texas Southern University
|
| 68 | The King's University | 251 | 60.64 | 870 – 1,130 | 13940 | 30883 |
#68
The King's University
|
| 69 | Jarvis Christian University | 577 | 100 | 760 – 930 | 9082 | 27077 |
Jarvis Christian University
|
| 70 | Wiley University | 712 | 100 | -- | 7149 | 28078 |
#70
Wiley University
|
| 71 | Dallas Christian College | 231 | 21.8 | 810 – 1,070 | 24001 | 39868 |
Dallas Christian College
|
| 72 | Paul Quinn College | 620 | 40.28 | 840 – 990 | 12709 | 27021 |
Paul Quinn College
|
| 73 | Wayland Baptist University | 1894 | 54.77 | 930 – 1,160 | 20446 | 44159 |
Wayland Baptist University
|
| 74 | Texas College | 614 | 100 | -- | 10958 | 27901 |
Texas College
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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