Best Colleges in Texas + Complete List of Schools

There are hundreds of colleges to choose from in Texas — which makes sense considering it’s the second largest state in the United States.

But the number of colleges in Texas isn’t its only appeal. For many students, the lower-than-average cost of living makes attending college in Texas a no-brainer. But don’t worry. Even if you can’t attend college there in person, you can choose from a large number of online schools in Texas, too.

Keep reading to see how the best colleges in Texas stack up to meet your needs, and decide for yourself whether studying in the Lone Star State is right for you.

We’ve created a complete list of all four-year nonprofit universities in Texas. You can use the table below to compare data on student population, average net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants.

The following school data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Schools with fewer than 500 undergrads were excluded from this list.

The cost of attending college in Texas depends on many factors, including whether you choose a private or public school. The average cost of tuition and fees in Texas can range anywhere from $2,828 for a public two-year program all the way up to $37,450 for a four-year private school.

College is expensive, but there are ways to make it more accessible for you. In fact, Texas has a variety of scholarships available just for Texas students. Check out the three following scholarships for Texas students:

After college, you can choose to work in a variety of fast-growing fields in Texas or apply your skills in another state. If you seek one of the highest-paying jobs in Texas, you may want to plan your major around one of the following areas, most of which are in the medical field.

The 10 jobs listed below earn the highest salaries in Texas.

The “best” college depends largely on your goals and preferences, but top colleges in Texas include Rice University, UT Austin, Texas A&M, and Texas Christian University. These schools all provide top-quality degree programs and offer the chance to network in many industries and businesses in Texas.

Free college in Texas — where available — is typically provided to Texas residents from low-income households. That said, each university sets its own policies for free tuition. For example, as of 2020, the UT Austin provided free tuition to qualifying first-year and transfer students with household incomes of less than $65,000.

Many colleges post tuition policies on their websites. You can also reach out to the admissions department with specific questions about tuition.

The hardest college to get into in Texas is Rice University, which is a private research university based in Houston. According to NCES, the school had an acceptance rate of just 9% in fall 2022.

It is not as expensive to attend college in Texas as it is in states with a higher cost of living. The low cost of living in Texas makes it a more affordable place to live if you choose to attend in-person classes.

Keep in mind, though, that the cost of college in Texas depends on many factors, including which school you choose, whether the school is public or private, how much financial aid you qualify for, and whether you’re an in-state or out-of-state resident.