Hidden Gem Colleges in Texas (2026)
Updated
This page lists 37 four-year nonprofit colleges in Texas. This list includes only colleges whose overall score is at or above the 50th percentile nationally and whose admission rate is above 50%; colleges without a reported admission rate are left out.
The colleges that qualify are ordered by overall score, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $79,176 for its graduates four years after completing, and admits 80% of applicants. The group includes 32 public and 5 private nonprofit institutions.
Public institutions make up 86% of the list, and private nonprofit schools account for the remainder. The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley posts the lowest average net price at $4,831.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $79,176 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $79,176 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · Edinburg, TX | $53,888 | $4,831 | $3,785 | 94.2% |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley carries an average net price of $4,831, the lowest on the page at $4,831. | |||||
| 3 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $68,091 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| University of Houston admits 74% of applicants and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 13th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $76,234 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station posts a six-year completion rate of 84%, matching the figure at Southern Methodist University. | |||||
| 5 | The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $60,333 | $10,836 | $7,870 | 86.8% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio ranks 5th on this list, with an average net price of $7,870 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | The University of Texas at El Paso · El Paso, TX | $58,771 | $9,403 | $7,863 | 99.9% |
| The University of Texas at El Paso reports median earnings of $58,771 for its graduates four years after completing and admits 100% of applicants. | |||||
| 7 | Texas State University · San Marcos, TX | $58,786 | $16,805 | $12,715 | 89.3% |
| Texas State University has a six-year completion rate of 55% and an average net price of $16,805. | |||||
| 8 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $58,743 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| University of North Texas ranks 8th on this list and reports median earnings of $58,743 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Houston-Downtown · Houston, TX | $60,550 | $10,542 | $9,439 | 90.0% |
| With an average net price of $9,439 for families earning under $30,000, University of Houston-Downtown admits 90% of applicants. | |||||
| 10 | The University of Texas at Dallas · Richardson, TX | $76,497 | $18,267 | $12,814 | 65.1% |
| The University of Texas at Dallas posts a six-year completion rate of 76% and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 74th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 11 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $66,144 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Texas Tech University reports median earnings of $66,144 for its graduates four years after completing and admits 73% of applicants. | |||||
| 12 | Prairie View A & M University · Prairie View, TX | $60,602 | $13,570 | $12,120 | 79.3% |
| An average net price of $13,570 accompanies a six-year completion rate of 43% at Prairie View A & M University. | |||||
| 13 | Sam Houston State University · Huntsville, TX | $57,044 | $16,404 | $12,474 | 90.3% |
| Sam Houston State University reports median earnings of $57,044 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,404. | |||||
| 14 | Texas Woman's University · Denton, TX | $64,179 | $11,963 | $9,948 | 96.1% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 49%, Texas Woman's University admits 96% of applicants and ranks 118th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | University of Houston-Clear Lake · Houston, TX | $59,865 | $15,563 | $7,330 | 90.5% |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake carries an average net price of $7,330 for families earning under $30,000, and its graduates across all fields earn a median of $59,865 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $66,816 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
| Graduates of Lamar University earn a median of $66,816 four years after completing, and the school's six-year completion rate stands at 37%. | |||||
| 17 | The University of Texas at Tyler · Tyler, TX | $68,633 | $13,323 | $10,307 | 94.0% |
| The University of Texas at Tyler ranks 17th on this list and posts a six-year completion rate of 54%. | |||||
| 18 | University of North Texas at Dallas · Dallas, TX | $62,574 | $6,420 | $4,713 | 84.5% |
| An average net price of $6,420 coincides with median earnings of $62,574 for graduates of University of North Texas at Dallas four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | East Texas A&M University · Commerce, TX | $57,494 | $11,841 | $9,709 | 92.2% |
| East Texas A&M University admits 92% of applicants and reports median earnings of $57,494 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Texas Southern University · Houston, TX | $55,112 | $16,590 | $16,437 | 96.9% |
| With an admission rate of 97%, Texas Southern University shows a six-year completion rate of 22% and ranks 222nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 21 | Texas A&M University-San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $55,112 | $11,196 | $9,596 | 92.8% |
| Texas A&M University-San Antonio reports an average net price of $9,596 for families earning under $30,000, and its graduates earn a median of $55,112 four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $56,982 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
| Graduates of Texas A&M University-Kingsville earn a median of $56,982 four years after completing, and the school admits 91% of applicants. | |||||
| 23 | Stephen F Austin State University · Nacogdoches, TX | $55,013 | $14,260 | $10,318 | 94.0% |
| Stephen F Austin State University ranks 23rd on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 53% and an average net price of $14,260. | |||||
| 24 | Tarleton State University · Stephenville, TX | $57,758 | $20,783 | $15,574 | 89.6% |
| An average net price of $15,574 for families earning under $30,000 at Tarleton State University sits alongside median earnings of $57,758 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | The University of Texas Permian Basin · Odessa, TX | $63,864 | $12,723 | $11,930 | 94.9% |
| The University of Texas Permian Basin reports median earnings of $63,864 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 40%. | |||||
| 26 | Midwestern State University · Wichita Falls, TX | $62,250 | $11,656 | $8,856 | 93.5% |
| With an average net price of $11,656, Midwestern State University admits 94% of applicants and ranks 304th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 27 | Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi · Corpus Christi, TX | $59,765 | $15,225 | $11,445 | 88.6% |
| Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi, a public university in Corpus Christi, posts a six-year completion rate of 40% and median graduate earnings of $59,765 four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $95,051 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
| Graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median of $95,051 four years after completing, and the school reports an average net price of $40,892. | |||||
| 29 | Texas A&M University-Victoria · Victoria, TX | $57,364 | $8,109 | $5,317 | 95.9% |
| Texas A&M University-Victoria carries an average net price of $8,109 and ranks 362nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 30 | University of St Thomas · Houston, TX | $66,137 | $19,359 | $18,441 | 89.9% |
| University of St Thomas ranks 30th on this list, with its graduates across all fields earning a median of $66,137 four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | West Texas A & M University · Canyon, TX | $55,166 | $19,487 | $16,525 | 98.7% |
| Admitting 99% of applicants, West Texas A & M University shows a six-year completion rate of 55% and median graduate earnings of $55,166. | |||||
| 32 | Houston Christian University · Houston, TX | $62,310 | $20,629 | $17,933 | 84.4% |
| Houston Christian University reports median earnings of $62,310 for its graduates four years after completing, and an admission rate of 84%. | |||||
| 33 | University of the Incarnate Word · San Antonio, TX | $63,004 | $22,775 | $19,260 | 98.1% |
| University of the Incarnate Word ranks 573rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with an average net price of $22,775. | |||||
| 34 | Sul Ross State University · Alpine, TX | $49,811 | $13,286 | $11,110 | 98.7% |
| Sul Ross State University admits 99% of applicants, and its graduates earn a median of $49,811 four years after completing. | |||||
| 35 | Texas A&M University-Texarkana · Texarkana, TX | $48,048 | $12,997 | $11,002 | 63.5% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 30%, Texas A&M University-Texarkana reports an average net price of $11,002 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 36 | Angelo State University · San Angelo, TX | $54,923 | $15,091 | $12,008 | 83.0% |
| Angelo State University ranks 36th on this list, and its graduates across all fields earn a median of $54,923 four years after completing. | |||||
| 37 | Saint Edward's University · Austin, TX | $59,999 | $25,578 | $20,799 | 81.4% |
| Saint Edward's University, a private nonprofit university in Austin, reports median earnings of $59,999 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 81%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
This list includes only colleges whose overall score is at or above the 50th percentile nationally and whose admission rate is above 50%; colleges without a reported admission rate are left out. The colleges that qualify are ordered by overall score, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The list does not measure fit or teaching quality. 32 of the 37 listed colleges are public and 5 are private nonprofit.