by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in the Southwest Region, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. We have ranked **266** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual reviewed 266 colleges using more than 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
The best college for you depends on what you want to study. Refine the list by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Ready to build your own comparison? Check out College Combat to build custom comparisons using the factors most important to you.
Explore the leading colleges below:
The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Colleges ranking in the Southwest Region. Based in Houston, TX, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,748, compared with $43,132 for out-of-state students. The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston graduates report median early-career earnings of $101,165. Typical student debt is $21,988.
Out of the 266 colleges in the Southwest Region in this year's ranking, Rice University landed the #2 spot. Rice University is a private not-for-profit school based in Houston, TX. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,247. Rice University graduates report median early-career earnings of $75,299. Students borrow a median of $11,904 to complete a degree here.
The University Of Texas At Austin came in at #3 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in the Southwest Region. Set in Austin, TX, The University Of Texas At Austin is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 89%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Early-career graduates earn a median of $57,819. Graduates carry a median of $21,275 in student loans.
The strong outcomes at The University Of Texas Medical Branch earned it the #4 place in the Southwest Region. This public school is set in Galveston, TX. Students from in state pay about $12,402 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,011. Graduates go on to earn a median of $79,793 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete a degree here.
You'll be in good company at Texas A And M University College Station, which ranked #5 this year. Based in College Station, TX, Texas A And M University College Station is a public institution. Texas A And M University College Station posts a six-year graduation rate of 84%. Students from in state pay about $12,995 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Early-career graduates earn a median of $64,891. Graduates carry a median of $20,031 in student loans.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center landed the #6 spot in the Southwest Region this year. This public school is set in Lubbock, TX. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,214, while out-of-state students pay about $22,514. Early-career graduates earn a median of $76,328. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center students take on a median of $24,889 in debt.
Texas Christian University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit school based in Fort Worth, TX. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $61,740 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $60,035. Students borrow a median of $22,960 to complete a degree here.
Southern Methodist University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Dallas, TX, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Southern Methodist University graduates 84% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $67,040 in tuition and fees. Southern Methodist University graduates report median early-career earnings of $70,632. Students borrow a median of $20,712 to complete a degree here.
The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio landed the #9 spot in the Southwest Region this year. Based in San Antonio, TX, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,991, compared with $27,776 for out-of-state students. The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio graduates report median early-career earnings of $89,151. Graduates carry a median of $20,247 in student loans.
Baylor University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Baylor University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waco, TX. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,100. Early-career graduates earn a median of $49,888. Graduates carry a median of $23,928 in student loans.
The University Of Texas Md Anderson Cancer Center came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Houston, TX. In-state tuition and fees average $6,511, compared with $23,731 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $79,657. Typical student debt is $20,667.
Trinity University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. Trinity University is a private not-for-profit school based in San Antonio, TX. Trinity University posts a six-year graduation rate of 84%. In-state tuition and fees run about $53,676. Graduates go on to earn a median of $57,496 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $23,314 in student loans.
Midwestern University Glendale placed #13 among the best colleges in the Southwest Region. Midwestern University Glendale is a private not-for-profit school based in Glendale, AZ. Graduates go on to earn a median of $98,281 early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At Dallas landed the #14 spot in the Southwest Region this year. This public school is set in Richardson, TX. The University Of Texas At Dallas graduates 76% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $14,644 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,144 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $58,507. The median student debt is $20,531.
Arizona State University landed the #15 spot in the Southwest Region this year. Located in Tempe, AZ, Arizona State University is a public institution. About 68% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,223, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Arizona State University graduates report median early-career earnings of $55,876. Students borrow a median of $21,842 to complete a degree here.
University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center landed the #16 spot in the Southwest Region this year. This public school is set in Dallas, TX. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $76,007.
University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus did well this year, earning the #17 position. Set in Norman, OK, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution. University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus posts a six-year graduation rate of 75%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,797, with out-of-state students paying around $27,377. Graduates go on to earn a median of $58,084 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $23,138.
University Of Arizona placed #18 among the best colleges in the Southwest Region. This public school is set in Tucson, AZ. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $13,573, compared with $39,903 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $50,834 early in their careers. The median student debt is $21,861.
Texas Tech University landed the #19 spot in the Southwest Region this year. Set in Lubbock, TX, Texas Tech University is a public institution. Texas Tech University posts a six-year graduation rate of 69%. In-state tuition and fees run about $11,852, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Median early-career earnings reach $50,332. Students borrow a median of $24,271 to complete a degree here.
University Of Tulsa did well this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Tulsa, OK, University Of Tulsa is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 72% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $49,546. Early-career graduates earn a median of $66,166. Typical student debt is $23,638.
University Of Houston placed #21 among the best colleges in the Southwest Region. This public school is set in Houston, TX. The six-year graduation rate is 65%. Students from in state pay about $9,717 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,547. University Of Houston graduates report median early-career earnings of $57,529. University Of Houston students take on a median of $21,255 in debt.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso is a public school based in El Paso, TX. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,050, with out-of-state students paying around $27,170. Graduates go on to earn a median of $67,322 early in their careers. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso students take on a median of $25,000 in debt.
The University Of Texas At Arlington landed the #23 spot in the Southwest Region this year. Based in Arlington, TX, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a public institution. The University Of Texas At Arlington posts a six-year graduation rate of 54%. In-state tuition and fees run about $11,950, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $55,304. The median student debt is $21,632.
University Of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Oklahoma City, OK, University Of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,925, compared with $25,714 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $81,828. The median student debt is $22,613.
Northern Arizona University came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Northern Arizona University is a public school based in Flagstaff, AZ. Northern Arizona University posts a six-year graduation rate of 61%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. Median early-career earnings reach $47,056. The median student debt is $21,645.
These colleges rounded out the top of the list:
These schools also stood out this year:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Oklahoma Christian University | Edmond, OK |
| 52 | West Texas A And M University | Canyon, TX |
| 53 | Tarleton State University | Stephenville, TX |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Colleges are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
