Best Colleges In Texas: New U.S. News Rankings

AUSTIN, TX — Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, is the highest-ranked national university in the Lone Star State according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 best colleges list.

A total of 76 Texas colleges were featured on the national list with the highest-ranking college Southwestern College, coming in at No. 92 on the overall national rankings. The 2020 rankings include the overall best national universities rankings, as well as rankings for the best liberal-arts colleges, the top public schools, the best value schools and more.

The news outlet annually publishes what is widely regarded as the gold standard for college rankings in the U.S. For this year's iteration, U.S. News & World Report examined 1,400 colleges and universities focusing on academic quality and measures that included as graduation rates, retention rates and social mobility.

For the first time this year, graduation rates for first-generation college students were factored into the ranking's overall methodology, researchers said. Another new ranking in this year's list is Top Performers on Social Mobility.

Here are the Texas schools that made the national university rankings:

• Southwestern University
• Austin College
• Rice University
• University of Texas at Austin
• Southern Methodist University
• Texas A&M University--College Station
• Baylor University
• Texas Christian University
• University of Texas —Dallas
• University of Houston
• Texas Tech University
• University of the Incarnate Word
• Dallas Baptist University
• Sam Houston State University
• University of North Texas
• Lamar University
• Our Lady of the Lake University
• Stephen F. Austin State University
• Texas A&M University — Commerce
• Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi
• Texas A&M University — Kingsville
• Texas Southern University
• Texas State University
• Texas Wesleyan University
• Texas Woman's University
• University of Texas — Arlington
• University of Texas — El Paso
• University of Texas — Rio Grande Valley
• University of Texas at San Antonio
• University of Texas — Tyler
• Texas Lutheran University
• Southwestern Adventist University
• Schreiner University
• Howard Payne University
• McMurry University
• East Texas Baptist University
• Huston-Tillotson University
• Jarvis Christian College
• Wiley College
• Brazosport College
• Midland College
• National American University — Austin
• Paul Quinn College
• South Texas College

• Southwestern Christian College
• Texas College
• Tyler Junior College
• Wade College
• Trinity University
• University of Dallas
• St. Edward's University
• St. Mary's University of San Antonio
• Abilene Christian University
• University of St. Thomas
• LeTourneau University
• Hardin-Simmons University
• University of Houston — Clear Lake
• University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
• Texas A&M International University
• Houston Baptist University
• Lubbock Christian University
• Midwestern State University
• Tarleton State University
• Texas A&M University — Texarkana
• West Texas A&M University
• University of North Texas — Dallas
• University of Texas of the Permian Basin
• Angelo State University
• Concordia University Texas
• Prairie View A&M University
• Southwestern Assemblies of God University
• Sul Ross State University
• University of Houston — Downtown
• University of Houston — Victoria
• Wayland Baptist University
• Amberton University

A total of 1,400 colleges are included in the 2020 rankings.The publication says that 90 percent of those reading the best-colleges list are looking for schools outside the top 10. Read the full methodology here.

“For more than three decades, we’ve collected and analyzed data on thousands of colleges and
universities across the country and helped put schools on the map,” Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News, said in a news release. “We’ve found the best institutions to be ones committed to academically and financially supporting their students through graduation. They draw in high-quality professors and set students up for postgraduate success.”

Here are the Texas schools that made the top public schools rankings:

• University of Texas at Austin
• Texas A&M University — College Station
• University of Texas — Dallas
• University of Houston
• Texas Tech University
• Sam Houston State University
• University of North Texas
• University of Houston — Clear Lake
• Texas A&M International University
• Midwestern State University
• Tarleton State University
• Texas A&M University — Texarkana
• West Texas A&M University
• University of North Texas — Dallas
• University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Overall, Princeton University once again stayed in the No.1 spot. Williams College was the top liberal-arts college and the University of California-Los Angeles was the No.1 public school.

Below are the top 5 national universities:

1. Princeton University (NJ)
2. Harvard University (MA)
3. Columbia University (NY) (tie)
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (tie)
3. Yale University (CT) (tie)

Below are the top 3 liberal arts colleges:

1. Williams College (MA)
2. Amherst College (MA)
3. Swarthmore College (PA) (tie)
3. Wellesley College (MA) (tie)

Below are the top 3 public universities:

1. University of California—Los Angeles
2. University of California—Berkeley
3. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor