2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas
When pursuing a degree in today's world, veterans have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking.
Our analysis looked at 99 schools in Texas to determine which ones were the best for veterans and active service men and women. To come up with this ranking, we look at more than 20 factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®, whether or not the school has a student's veteran organization, and the school's overall quality.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in Texas
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our analysis found Texas A&M University - College Station to be the best school for veterans in Texas in this year’s ranking. Located in College Station, Texas, the large public school handed out 18,160 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 2,040 of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M College Station were GI Bill® students, of which 1,388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,525. Texas A&M College Station does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Texas A&M College Station did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Schools in Texas list.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at The University of Texas at Arlington helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in Texas. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 13,700 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 48,072 students enrolled at UT Arlington, 2,100 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,506 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,897. UT Arlington does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
UT Arlington excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in Texas list.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Sam Houston State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in Texas. Located in Huntsville, Texas, the large public school awarded 5,163 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 21,912 students enrolled at SHSU, 1,026 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 648 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,792. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston - Downtown. The school came in at #4 in Texas on this year’s best for vets ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, the fairly large public school handed out 3,209 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 15,239 students enrolled at UH Downtown, 606 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 402 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,406. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston - Clear Lake. The school came in at #5 in Texas on this year’s best for vets ranking. UH Clear Lake is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,412 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Our most recent data shows that 509 of the 9,053 students enrolled at UH Clear Lake were GI Bill® students, of which 399 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,240. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. Located in Austin, Texas, the large public school handed out 15,121 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 50,476 students enrolled at UT Austin, 1,201 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 843 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,949. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. UT Austin did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Schools in Texas list.
Tarleton State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Stephenville, Texas, and it awarded 3,295 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Tarleton supports 14,016 students, and 719 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 417 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,524. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Texas Woman’s University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. Located in Denton, Texas, the fairly large public school awarded 3,894 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 507 of the 16,433 students enrolled at TWU were GI Bill® students, of which 315 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,604. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. Texas A&M Corpus Christi is located in Corpus Christi, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,690 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Of the 10,820 students enrolled at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 839 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 457 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,431. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
University of Houston did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking, coming in at #10. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 10,715 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UH supports 47,090 students, and 1,380 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 935 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,578. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, UH also did well on our Best Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #11, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. University of North Texas is a large public school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 10,108 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 40,953 students enrolled at UNT, 1,839 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,135 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,180. UNT does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
In addition to its great veterans ranking, UNT is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Schools in Texas list.
Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking, coming in at #12. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 8,767 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 40,322 students enrolled at Texas Tech, 1,148 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 662 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,852. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Texas Tech also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Texas State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. San Marcos, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 9,004 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State, 2,265 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,286 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,333. Texas State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, Texas State also did well on our Best Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #14, University of the Incarnate Word did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. UIW is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,233 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 1,198 of the 7,917 students enrolled at UIW were GI Bill® students, of which 910 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,438. During this same period, 125 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIW does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. This medium-sized public school is located in Tyler, Texas, and it awarded 2,875 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UT Tyler supports 9,781 students, and 435 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 310 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,172. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Texas Christian University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking. TCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,910 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, TCU supports 11,379 students, and 510 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 433 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $21,972. In addition to receiving other benefits, 311 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. TCU did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Schools in Texas list.
Texas A&M University - Texarkana landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking. Located in Texarkana, Texas, the small public school handed out 529 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 157 of the 2,171 students enrolled at Texas A&M Texarkana were GI Bill® students, of which 91 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,162. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 8,435 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UT Dallas supports 28,669 students, and 733 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 575 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,434. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. UT Dallas also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Lamar University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. Located in Beaumont, Texas, the fairly large public school awarded 4,167 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 16,637 students enrolled at Lamar University, 652 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 390 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,904. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
West Texas A&M University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,641 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, West Texas A&M University supports 10,036 students, and 414 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 230 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,587. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Southern Methodist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 4,059 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 12,373 students enrolled at SMU, 330 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 258 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,005. In addition to receiving other benefits, 103 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its best for vets ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, SMU is ranked #5 for overall quality in Texas.
Texas A&M International University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking. Located in Laredo, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,679 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Texas A&M International University supports 8,525 students, and 157 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 72 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,946. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #23, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. UTSA is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 7,410 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, UTSA supports 34,742 students, and 3,260 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,724 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,491. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
MSU Texas did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,427 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, MSU Texas supports 5,860 students, and 322 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 199 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,134. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a ranking of #25, Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Texas list. This fairly large public school is located in Commerce, Texas, and it awarded 3,231 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 12,249 students enrolled at Texas A&M Commerce, 629 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 421 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,439. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
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Best Colleges in the Southwest Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
References
- 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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