2026 Best Best Schools in the Southwest Region

Best programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their best programs.

College Factual analyzed 15 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best best schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Best Schools in the Southwest Region

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

1

The University Of Texas At San Antonio
San Antonio, TX

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

29 Best Degrees Awarded

$49,955 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is The University Of Texas At San Antonio, our #1 school for best. The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public school located in the city of San Antonio. Roughly 53% of students complete a degree within six years here. The University Of Texas At San Antonio awarded about 29 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $49,955 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,312. See the full best program report for The University Of Texas At San Antonio

2

University Of Houston Downtown
Houston, TX

Associate's Degree Highest Degree Type

70 Best Degrees Awarded

$46,298 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong best program will find one at University Of Houston Downtown, which ranked #2. University Of Houston Downtown is a large public school located in the city of Houston. The six-year graduation rate is 33%. There were roughly 70 best students who graduated with this degree at University Of Houston Downtown in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $46,298 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,925. See the full best program report for University Of Houston Downtown

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 · 15 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.