Best Southwestern Colleges
There are 76 ranked four-year colleges in the Southwest, evaluated with the same methodology used for our national rankings. Only nonprofit, selective four-year schools are included.
Leading our 2027 rankings is Rice University in Houston, Texas, topping our list in the Southwest. The top rated public university is The University of Texas at Austin. Also highly ranked: Trinity University, Southern Methodist University and The University of Texas at Austin.
Compare tuition, acceptance rates, and enrollment across the colleges below. See how rankings are calculated on our methodology page. Explore the regional list below or browse individual states.
Texas State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Marcos, TX
-
3.8 | 9 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Texas State is a large public university known for undergraduate geography, education, and mass communication. The campus in the college town of San Marcos sits along the spring-fed San Marcos River.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $15,716
University of the Incarnate Word
- Private 4 Year
- San Antonio, TX
-
| 0 reviews
UIW is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and the health sciences. The urban campus is in San Antonio.
- SAT Range 900-1140
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $23,363
University of Mary Hardin Baylor
- Private 4 Year
- Belton, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Mary Hardin-Baylor is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus is in Belton in Central Texas.
- SAT Range 960-1200
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $27,651
New Mexico State University Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Las Cruces, NM
-
| 0 reviews
New Mexico State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture and engineering. The main campus lies in Las Cruces near the Organ Mountains.
- SAT Range 870-1110
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $10,719
Sam Houston State University
- Public 4 Year
- Huntsville, TX
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Sam Houston State is a large public university known for undergraduate criminal justice and forensic science. The main campus is in Huntsville in the piney woods of East Texas.
- SAT Range 930-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $14,737
University of Central Oklahoma
- Public 4 Year
- Edmond, OK
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
UCO is a public university known for undergraduate forensic science and teacher education. The suburban campus sits in Edmond just north of Oklahoma City.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $18,660
The University of Texas Permian Basin
- Public 4 Year
- Odessa, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 23 application deadline
UT Permian Basin is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering and business. The campus is located in Odessa in West Texas's Permian Basin.
- SAT Range 910-1130
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $13,563
Texas A & M University Corpus Christi
- Public 4 Year
- Corpus Christi, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is a public university known for undergraduate marine science, coastal biology, and environmental science. The campus sits on Ward Island along Corpus Christi Bay.
- SAT Range 970-1193
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $15,233
Texas Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Fort Worth, TX
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
Texas Wesleyan is a private Methodist university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The historic campus sits in Fort Worth's Polytechnic Heights neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1020-1100
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $26,416
Texas A & M International University
- Public 4 Year
- Laredo, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Texas A&M International is a public university known for undergraduate international business and nursing. Its campus is in Laredo on the U.S.-Mexico border.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 44%
- Net Price $5,644
Houston Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Houston, TX
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
Houston Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus is in southwest Houston.
- SAT Range 990-1190
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $21,282
West Texas A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Canyon, TX
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
West Texas A&M is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and business. The campus is in Canyon, a small college town in the Texas Panhandle.
- SAT Range 950-1170
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $15,572
Texas Woman's University
- Public 4 Year
- Denton, TX
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
TWU is a public university primarily for women, known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The main campus is in Denton, a college town north of Dallas-Fort Worth.
- SAT Range 930-1140
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $11,636
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alva, OK
-
| 0 reviews
Northwestern Oklahoma State is a small public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Alva in northwestern Oklahoma.
- SAT Range 803-1036
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $10,492
East Central University
- Public 4 Year
- Ada, OK
-
| 0 reviews
East Central is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus is in the small city of Ada in south-central Oklahoma.
- SAT Range 900-1120
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $8,565
Texas A&M University Kingsville
- Public 4 Year
- Kingsville, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Texas A&M-Kingsville is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering, agriculture, and wildlife science. Students attend a campus in the small South Texas city of Kingsville.
- SAT Range 990-1110
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $12,812
Oral Roberts University
- Private 4 Year
- Tulsa, OK
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
Oral Roberts is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, nursing, and business. The Tulsa campus centers on the Prayer Tower and a distinctive modernist architectural style.
- SAT Range 1120-1310
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $25,808
Schreiner University
- Private 4 Year
- Kerrville, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Schreiner is a small private university with undergraduate programs in nursing and education. The campus sits in Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country.
- SAT Range 970-1160
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $22,884