2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region
266
Colleges
$67,136
Avg Salary*
60%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Top Southwest Region Colleges ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
We analyzed 266 colleges and universities across the Southwest Region to determine which were the best in terms of overall quality. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including post graduate earnings, freshman retention, and graduation rate. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Get more details on our ranking methodology.
Custom Rankings
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Top Colleges in the Southwest Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to be the best school for overall quality in the Southwest Region in this year’s ranking.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from TTUHSC go into careers with an average salary of $92,348 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at The University of Texas Medical Branch helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in the Southwest Region .
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UTMB Galveston is $92,961 during the early years of their career.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The school came in at #3 in the Southwest Region on this year’s overall quality ranking.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $88,757 during the early years of their career..
Full The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. It ranked #4 on our 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from MD Anderson go into careers with an average salary of $90,232 during the early years of their career.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #5 in the Southwest Region on this year’s overall quality ranking.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $72,097 during the early years of their career..
Read full report on Texas A&M University - College Station
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from UT Austin make an average of $75,121 a year.
Read full report on The University of Texas at Austin
Rice University landed the #7 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. During the early years of their career, graduates from Rice make an average of $89,718 a year.
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With a ranking of #8, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
The student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UT Health San Antonio make an average of $82,206 per year during the early years of their career.
Full The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. During the early years of their career, graduates from UOHSC make an average of $63,126 a year.
Full University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center Report
University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #10 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UOPX - Arizona go into careers with an average salary of $37,752 during the early years of their career.
Full University of Phoenix - Arizona Report
West Coast University - Dallas did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #11.
The 4-year grad rate at the school is 100%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from West Coast University - Dallas go into careers with an average salary of $102,672 during the early years of their career.
Full West Coast University - Dallas Report
With a ranking of #12, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from ASU - Tempe make an average of $62,668 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from University of Arizona is $59,979 during the early years of their career.
Full University of Arizona Report
Texas Christian University landed the #14 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from TCU make an average of $68,424 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Texas Christian University
GateWay Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #15.
During the early years of their career, graduates from GateWay Community College make an average of $46,147 a year.
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With a ranking of #16, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from SMU go into careers with an average salary of $78,354 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Southern Methodist University
With a ranking of #17, Grand Canyon University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $42,186 during the early years of their career..
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With a ranking of #18, Baylor University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Baylor is $65,793 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Baylor University
Texas State Technical College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from TSTC go into careers with an average salary of $38,916 during the early years of their career.
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Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #20.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech make an average of $62,454 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Texas Tech University
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #21.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $63,126 during the early years of their career..
Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Report
Eastern Arizona College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Arizona College go into careers with an average salary of $38,018 during the early years of their career.
Full Eastern Arizona College Report
With a ranking of #23, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region list.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from UT Dallas make an average of $68,227 a year.
Read full report on The University of Texas at Dallas
Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #24.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from NAU is $54,384 during the early years of their career.
Full Northern Arizona University Report
Tarrant County College District came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Southwest Region ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Tarrant County College go into careers with an average salary of $42,727 during the early years of their career.
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