A Complete Guide to Colleges in Texas

Updated August 22, 2023

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Explore all the colleges in Texas, from popular universities like UT Austin and Texas A&M to prestigious private schools like Rice and Baylor.

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10 Popular Colleges in Texas

Here are 10 popular colleges in Texas, followed by all other schools in the state. This list considers a handful of variables to determine popularity, including enrollment size, acceptance rate, and overall reputation.

All school data below comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Tuition and fees are from 2022-2023, while acceptance rates, enrollment statistics, net prices, and number of applicants are from 2021.

1. The University of Texas at Austin
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $11,698 (in state) | $41,070 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 29%
- Total Student Enrollment: 51,991
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more popular Texas college. UT Austin is the only university in the state dubbed a “Public Ivy,” a loose term for public schools considered equivalent in prestige to Ivy League schools. UT Austin might be best known for its athletics programs — the Longhorns football team plays in the ninth-largest stadium in the world.
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2. Texas A&M University
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $13,239 (in state) | $40,139 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- Total Student Enrollment: 72,530
Uniting students, researchers, and military cadets, Texas A&M is the largest school in the U.S. by enrollment. It’s also one of 17 schools designated as a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university. Additionally, Texas A&M is home to the famous 12th Man and is one of only six schools with a student military organization, the Corps of Cadets.
3. Rice University
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $54,960
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Total Student Enrollment: 8,285
Known for its applied science research and overall prestige, Rice has an acceptance rate of just 9% — the lowest in Texas. The private Houston-based university is consistently ranked among the top universities nationwide, giving graduates plenty to be proud about. Rice is also known for producing many NASA astronauts and administrators — fitting considering President John F. Kennedy’s historic 1962 Rice Stadium speech.

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4. University of Houston
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $9,699 (in state) | $21,891 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 66%
- Total Student Enrollment: 47,031
A whopping 96% of UH’s student body hails from Texas. In addition to boasting in-state popularity, UH is one of the top research schools in Texas. The university also offers free tuition and fees for Texas residents whose families earn at or below $65,000 a year, making it one of the most affordable four-year public institutions in the state.
5. University of North Texas
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $11,140 (in state) | $20,932 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 66%
- Total Student Enrollment: 2,441
Based in Denton, UNT is one of the largest and easiest schools to get into in Texas. But that’s not a knock on its quality — UNT is among just a few schools in Texas to make an appearance on Carnegie’s list of top-tier universities. The university is also home to the largest music program and one of the top jazz schools in the country.
6. Texas Tech University
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $11,852 (in state) | $24,122 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 66%
- Total Student Enrollment: 40,542
Texas Tech’s Spanish Renaissance-themed campus in Lubbock might be one of the prettiest in the country. Author James A. Michener calls it “the most beautiful [campus] west of the Mississippi until you get to Stanford.” Besides campus aesthetics, Texas Tech is well known for its online learning, which Newsweek ranked No. 1 nationally in 2022.
7. Baylor University
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $51,738
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Total Student Enrollment: 20,626
Baylor has the honor of being the world’s largest Baptist university. Located in the popular college town of Waco, the institution strives to serve both the church and society. In addition to being a top-tier research university, Baylor is one of the most spirited schools — its annual Homecoming Parade is the oldest and largest in the country.
8. Prairie View A&M University
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $11,299 (in state) | $26,874 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 66%
- Total Student Enrollment: 9,400
Established in 1876, PVAMU is the oldest historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the U.S. and the second-oldest public institution in Texas. Today, it’s one of only 11 HBCUs to earn an R2 Carnegie Classification status of high research activity. PVAMU is also well known for producing the highest number of Black architects and engineers in the country.
9. Texas Woman’s University
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $8,311 (in state) | $18,103 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 96%
- Total Student Enrollment: 16,338
Located in Denton, TWU has the distinction of being the largest college in the nation that is primarily for women. The co-ed university is home to the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership, which helps women establish their careers as C-suite executives, business owners, and public officials.
10. Texas State University
- Avg. Undergraduate Tuition & Fees: $11,135 (in state) | $22,559 (out of state)
- Acceptance Rate: 70%
- Total Student Enrollment: 37,864
Texas State is a stand-out school for a few reasons. It’s one of just a few schools to have the Seal of Excelencia, which recognizes institutions committed to supporting Latino/a students. The San Marcos-based university also ranks No. 1 in Texas for helping at-risk students graduate and for producing the most public school teachers. If that wasn’t enough, Texas State has the largest forensics research facility in the world.

List of All Texas Colleges and Universities

The following table is a complete list of four-year nonprofit colleges in Texas. You can find information on each school’s student enrollment, average net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants.

All Colleges in Texas
School	Total Student Enrollment	Avg. Annual Net Price	Acceptance Rate	Number of Applicants
Abilene Christian University	4,912	$29,734	70%	8,208
Amberton University	1,002	$8,585	N/A	N/A
Angelo State University	10,826	$12,835	70%	3,515
Arlington Baptist University	216	$20,863	N/A	N/A
Austin College	1,228	$24,398	43%	4,130
Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary	112	N/A	85%	20
Baptist University of the Americas	156	$6,713	N/A	N/A
Baylor University	20,626	$46,039	57%	36,588
Christ Mission College	44	$10,289	N/A	N/A
College of Biblical Studies-Houston	418	$14,550	N/A	N/A
Concordia University Texas	2,137	$30,280	89%	1,441
Criswell College	181	$13,378	98%	43
Dallas Bapist University	4,340	$27,599	94%	6,916
Dallas Christian University	317	$23,422	17%	1,100
East Texas Baptist University	10,395	$5,617	65%	1,618
Grace School of Theology	669	$12,698	N/A	N/A
Hallmark University	923	$9,816	56%	312
Hardin-Simmons University	1,937	$23,337	95%	2,125
Houston Baptist University	4,120	$20,089	85%	9,685
Howard Payne University	931	$23,603	59%	1,333
Huston-Tillotson University	1,001	$12,365	50%	1,875
Jarvis Christian University	721	$11,601	N/A	N/A
Lamar University	16,320	$11,449	88%	6,129
LeTourneau University	3,209	$25,932	54%	2,290
Lubbock Christian University	1,661	$24,079	95%	893
McMurry University	1,145	$22,098	78%	1,372
Messenger College	31	$14,115	100%	8
Midwestern State University	5,797	$11,160	95%	3,887
North American University	821	$15,991	N/A	N/A
Our Lady of the Lake University	2,550	$18,362	66%	3,933
Parker University	1,954	$18,752	N/A	N/A
Paul Quinn College	384	$7,306	87%	1,117
Prairie View A&M University	9,400	$14,927	77%	6,753
Rice Universiy	8,285	$18,521	9%	29,544
Sam Houston State University	21,612	$14,287	97%	11,556
Schreiner University	1,103	$23,048	84%	1,443
Southern Methodist University	12,385	$41,986	53%	15,685
Southwestern Adventist University	852	$18,472	58%	1,099
Southwestern Assemblies of God University	1,843	$22,245	85%	658
Southwestern University	1,504	$28,496	51%	4,757
St. Edward’s University	3,577	$24,668	92%	4,940
St. Mary’s University	3,432	$17,899	88%	4,305
Stephen F. Austin State University	12,000	$16,819	83%	7,811
Sul Ross State University	2,100	$15,580	100%	549
Tarleton State University	13,995	$13,752	57%	10,657
Texas A&M International University	8,455	$5,155	54%	5,263
Texas A&M University-Central Texas	2,219	$8,089	96%	49
Texas A&M University-College Station	72,530	$22,253	64%	43,763
Texas A&M University-Commerce	11,504	$13,639	87%	5,203
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi	10,762	$14,349	91%	7,222
Texas A&M University-Kingsville	6,405	$12,028	93%	4,936
Texas A&M University-San Antonio	6,893	$12,235	73%	10,684
Texas A&M University-Texarkana	2,112	$13,810	96%	1,681
Texas Christian University	11,938	$42,574	54%	19,782
Texas College	731	$17,717	N/A	N/A
Texas Lutheran University	1,468	$19,829	63%	2,630
Texas Southern University	7,524	$9,921	63%	10,554
Texas State University	37,864	$16,385	70%	31,073
Texas Tech University	40,542	$17,057	68%	33,756
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	5,378	N/A	N/A	N/A
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso	785	N/A	N/A	N/A
Texas Wesleyan University	2,531	$21,495	58%	3,977
Texas Woman’s University	16,338	$11,627	96%	5355
The King’s University	650	$20,962	100%	13
The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary	2,071	$10,414	100%	87
The University of Texas at Arlington	45,949	$15,301	93%	15,498
The University of Texas at Austin	51,991	$16,589	29%	66,077
The University of Texas at Dallas	29,696	$12,924	87%	18,838
The University of Texas at El Paso	24,003	$10,538	100%	10,153
The University of Texas at San Antonio	34,734	$11,013	90%	21,726
The University of Texas at Tyler	9,687	$11,183	94%	3,577
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston	5,796	N/A	N/A	N/A
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio	3,499	N/A	N/A	N/A
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center	358	N/A	N/A	N/A
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston	3,484	N/A	N/A	N/A
The University of Texas Permian Basin	5,534	$9,447	65%	1,212
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	31,940	$6,244	94%	14,386
Trinity University	2,704	$27,356	34%	9,626
University of Dallas	2,538	$25,620	58%	4,990
University of Houston	47,031	$14,339	66%	29,721
University of Houston-Clear Lake	9,279	$16,737	91%	1,793
University of Houston-Downtown	15,077	$13,460	95%	6,148
University of Houston-Victoria	4,189	$11,375	53%	2,272
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor	3,732	$30,191	99%	14,587
University of North Texas	42,441	$11,915	81%	24,858
University of North Texas at Dallas	4,120	$6,575	90%	2,618
University of North Texas at Health Science Center	2,472	N/A	N/A	N/A
University of St. Thomas	3,877	$20,130	98%	1,140
University of the Incarnate Word	7,508	$21,161	94%	8,999
Wayland Baptist University	3,508	$23,378	81%	733
West Texas A&M University	9,602	$13,802	97%	5,743
Wiley College	665	$8,796	N/A	N/A

Source: NCES

Frequently Asked Questions About Colleges in Texas

What are the three biggest colleges in Texas?

According to NCES, the three biggest colleges in Texas by enrollment are:

Texas A&M University
The University of Texas at Austin
University of Houston

Texas A&M had a total student population of 72,530 in 2021, making it the biggest university in the U.S. by enrollment. This was followed by UT Austin, which had 51,991 students, and UH, which had 47,031 students.

What is the hardest college to get into in Texas?

Rice accepted just 9% of undergraduate applicants in fall 2021, making it the hardest college to get into in Texas. UT Austin boasts the state’s second-lowest acceptance rate at 29%, while Trinity University has the state’s third-lowest acceptance rate at 34%.

What is the most fun college in Texas?

Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Stephen F. Austin State University are among the top colleges in Texas for overall fun and partying, according to College Gazette. These schools rank highly for extracurriculars like college sports, Greek life, music, and art, as well as for cultural diversity.