Texas’s Best Christian Colleges & Universities of 2021
For prospective college students looking for schools that align with their Christian faith and demonstrate academic excellence, here are the best Christian colleges and universities in Texas.
Colleges and Universities in Texas
Texas offers more than 30 colleges and universities that serve communities of 10,000 students or more. The largest school in the bunch (and in the nation), Texas A&M University in College Station serves more than 65,000 students. The University of Texas at Austin is the next largest, serving about 45,000 students — but it too has a big claim to fame, as the wealthiest public university in the United States. Texas’s private colleges and universities, including Baylor University and Southern Methodist University, are also impressive in size and scope. The majority of these schools have religious affiliations and offer degrees in a variety fields, such as nursing, religious studies, criminal justice, business, and education.
What are Texas’s Colleges & Universities?
- 28 Research Universities
- 46 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 43 Graduate Schools
- 36 Public Colleges & Universities
- 38 Private Colleges & Universities
- 36 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 39 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 44 Affordable Colleges (below national average of $16,000/year)
- 55 Community Colleges
Texas’s Best Overall
The following list of the best Christian schools consists entirely of colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 36 Christian colleges in Texas; 24 of those schools satify our criteria for the best Christian schools, and the top 20 schools are shown below. In order to be included in this ranking list of best Christian colleges and universities in Texas, a school needs to satisfy the following three conditions:
- It must self-identify as Christian.
- It must be fully accredited.
- It must offer a broad range of bachelor degree programs.
- It must have a graduation rate above 40%.
How do we determine Texas's best Christian colleges and universities?
The best colleges pound for pound!
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call Concentrated Influence.
Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.
Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.
20 Best Christian Colleges & Universities in Texas
- #1Southern Methodist University#303 institution's overall influence#1324 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
79%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1370/31
Dallas, TXView profile
What is Southern Methodist University known for?
Southern Methodist University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Law
- Religious Studies
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- Business
- Engineering
- Communications
- History
- Education
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #2University of Dallas#1301 institution's overall influence#1419 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$41K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
67%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1230/26
Irving, TXView profile
What is University of Dallas known for?
University of Dallas's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Economics
- Political Science
- Physics
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Education
- Computer Science
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #3Houston Baptist University#1383 institution's overall influence#270 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
44%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/22
Houston, TXView profile
What is Houston Baptist University known for?
Houston Baptist University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Literature
- Biology
- Business
- Chemistry
- History
- Medical
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #4St. Mary's University, Texas#1468 institution's overall influence#282 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
59%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/24
San Antonio, TXView profile
What is St. Mary's University, Texas known for?
St. Mary's University, Texas's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Economics
- Law
- Communications
- Criminal Justice
- Political Science
- Literature
- Business
- Sociology
- Education
- Social Work
Most Influential Alumni
- #5Trinity University#1110 institution's overall influence#236 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$43K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
77%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1345/29
San Antonio, TXView profile
What is Trinity University known for?
Trinity University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Engineering
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Religious Studies
- Communications
- Literature
Most Influential Alumni
- #6Baylor University#397 institution's overall influence#96 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
74%
Student body
17K
Median SAT/ACT
1280/28
Waco, TXView profile
What is Baylor University known for?
Baylor University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
- Medical
- Business
- Sociology
- History
- Education
- Law
- Communications
- Chemistry
Most Influential Alumni
- #7University of St. Thomas#2153 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
60%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/23
Houston, TXView profile
What is University of St. Thomas known for?
University of St. Thomas's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Communications
- Medical
- Religious Studies
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Education
- Business
- Literature
Most Influential Alumni
- #8Southwestern University#1306 institution's overall influence#1188 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$42K
Acceptance
45%
Graduation
72%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1230/26
Georgetown, TXView profile
What is Southwestern University known for?
Southwestern University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Computer Science
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- Education
- Psychology
- Physics
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #9Hardin–Simmons University#1216 institution's overall influence#1182 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
52%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/21
Abilene, TXView profile
What is Hardin–Simmons University known for?
Hardin–Simmons University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- History
- Earth Sciences
- Medical
- Communications
- Business
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Nursing
Most Influential Alumni
- #10LeTourneau University#2759 institution's overall influence#202 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$30K
Acceptance
46%
Graduation
53%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1205/24
Longview, TXView profile
What is LeTourneau University known for?
LeTourneau University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Literature
- Business
- Communications
- History
- Medical
- Education
- Nursing
Most Influential Alumni
- #11Howard Payne University#1317 institution's overall influence#939 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
41%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1025/20
Brownwood, TXView profile
What is Howard Payne University known for?
Howard Payne University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Philosophy
- History
- Anthropology
- Criminal Justice
- Biology
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Business
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #12Abilene Christian University#1463 institution's overall influence#771 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
62%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1135/24
Abilene, TXView profile
What is Abilene Christian University known for?
Abilene Christian University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Criminal Justice
- History
- Social Work
- Literature
- Communications
- Education
- Psychology
- Nursing
Most Influential Alumni
- #13Texas Christian University#764 institution's overall influence#208 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
41%
Graduation
77%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1246/28
Fort Worth, TXView profile
What is Texas Christian University known for?
Texas Christian University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- History
- Business
- Communications
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Biology
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #14St. Edward's University#1852 institution's overall influence#364 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$45K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
64%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/24
Austin, TXView profile
What is St. Edward's University known for?
St. Edward's University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Philosophy
- Communications
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- Criminal Justice
- Political Science
- Business
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #15Austin College#2305 institution's overall influence#1129 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
55%
Graduation
73%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1230/24
Sherman, TXView profile
What is Austin College known for?
Austin College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Biology
- Business
- Mathematics
- History
- Education
- Psychology
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #16Dallas Baptist University#3319 institution's overall influence#1101 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
60%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1180/22
Dallas, TXView profile
What is Dallas Baptist University known for?
Dallas Baptist University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Communications
- Medical
- Criminal Justice
- Religious Studies
- Political Science
- Education
- Business
- Computer Science
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #17Southwestern Adventist University#6684 institution's overall influence#656 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$22K
Acceptance
55%
Graduation
40%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/19
Keene, TXView profile
What is Southwestern Adventist University known for?
Southwestern Adventist University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Communications
- Political Science
- History
- Education
- #18Southwestern Assemblies of God University#5540 institution's overall influence#92 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
45%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/20
Waxahachie, TXView profile
What is Southwestern Assemblies of God University known for?
Southwestern Assemblies of God University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Mathematics
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Education
- Social Work
- History
- Communications
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #19University of the Incarnate Word#2961 institution's overall influence#507 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
56%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/19
San Antonio, TXView profile
What is University of the Incarnate Word known for?
University of the Incarnate Word's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Criminal Justice
- Psychology
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Education
- Business
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #20Texas Lutheran University#5972 institution's overall influence#205 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$30K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
52%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1075/22
Seguin, TXView profile
What is Texas Lutheran University known for?
Texas Lutheran University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Communications
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Medical
- History
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
Find Texas’s best Christian college for your major
Resources for College-Bound Students
- Guide to Applying for College
- How to Apply for Grad School
- Guide to Paying for College
- Guide to Financial Aid in HigherEd
- Guide to College and Grad School Scholarships
- College & University Accreditation Guide
- Guide to Surviving College
- Guide to College for International Students
- Guide to College Study Skills
