Rice University inched up a spot to rank No. 16 among the nation’s “Best Colleges” while the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University fell slightly on the 2027 U.S. News & World Report list.

The rankings are notoriously competitive, and they’re both coveted and criticized within higher education. Administrators typically vie for gains to boost their visibility with prospective students and affirm their school’s rigor. Critics, however, have argued the list tends overrate wealthier universities and reinforces an elite system.

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Here’s where Texas schools ranked among ‘national universities’
No. 16 (tied): Rice University
No. 34 (tied): University of Texas at Austin
No. 59 (tied): Texas A&M University
No. 85 (tied): Southern Methodist University
No. 90 (tied): Baylor University
No. 90 (tied): Texas Christian University
No. 121 (tied): University of Texas at Dallas
No. 137 (tied): University of Houston
No. 186 (tied): Texas Tech University
No. 202 (tied): University of St. Thomas
No. 208 (tied): University of North Texas
No. 227 (tied): University of Texas at San Antonio

No. 236 (tied): University of Texas at Arlington
No. 250 (tied): University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley
No. 262 (tied): University of Texas-El Paso
No. 288 (tied): Texas State University
No. 308 (tied): Abilene Christian University
No. 308 (tied): University of the Incarnate Word
No. 317 (tied): Prairie View A&M University
No. 328 (tied): University of North Texas-Dallas
No. 332 (tied): Texas A&M University-Kingsville
No. 332 (tied): Texas Woman’s University
No. 342 (tied): University of Texas at Tyler
No. 353 (tied): University of Houston-Clear Lake
No 382-422: Angelo State University
No. 382-422: Dallas Baptist University
No. 382-422: East Texas A&M University
No. 382-422: Houston Christian University
No. 382-422: Lamar University
No. 382-422: Tarleton State University
No. 382-422: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
No. 382-422: Texas Southern University
No. 382-422: Texas Wesleyan University

U.S. News ranked 422 universities to make up the national list ranking four-year universities. More than half of the rankings’ weighting comes from student outcomes, according to the outlet.

The drops didn’t move the Texas flagships too far down: UT-Austin dropped four spots to No. 34, and Texas A&M dropped eight spots to No. 59. University of Houston also dropped five spots to No. 137.

In Texas, Prairie View A&M University made one of the biggest jumps in the rankings, leaping 26 spots to No. 317.

The Ivy League and “Ivy-plus” schools have typically ranked highest on the “Best Colleges” list. This year’s top national university was Massachusetts Institute of Technology, followed by Princeton University as the second, Harvard University as the third, and Yale University as the fourth best. California Institute of Technology and Stanford University tied at No. 5.

U.S. News has for years regarded Rice as the best university in Texas, and it’s consistently ranked in the top 20.

U.S. News also ranks public universities on a separate list. Texas schools fared better there: UT-Austin was No. 8, A&M was No. 24 and UH was No. 67. That’s one spot higher than last year, but not nearly as big of a jump needed to reach President Renu Khator’s goal for UH to become a top 50 public university.

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This article originally published at New 2026 Texas college rankings from U.S. News include some notable shakeups. Here’s a look..