2026 Best Best Schools in the Southwest Region
Best is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools to find the best for best students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Best in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall best education in the Southwest Region.
Top Schools in Best
The University Of Texas At Austin tops our 2026 ranking of the best best schools. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. About 89% of students finish within six years. About 215 best degrees were awarded at The University Of Texas At Austin in the most recent year. Best graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $57,819 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $21,275.
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Rice University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #2 spot this year. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Houston. About 95% of students finish within six years. Rice University awarded about 93 best degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from Rice University earn around $75,299 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $11,904 to complete this degree.
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Baylor University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in best, ranking #3. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Waco. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. Baylor University awarded about 47 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $49,888 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,928 to complete this degree.
Get the full best details for Baylor University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.