Graduate school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession. The best graduate schools in Texas offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking.
Texas is the second largest state, which means bigger or greater options for advanced education. Texas is home to the first Space Center, Smithsonian-worthy institutions, and more airports than any other state in America. Prospective students for graduate degrees can find a rare combination of protected history and urban innovation in the Lone Star state.
A public university in Texas charges in-state students an average of $8,000 for tuition and other fees. Nearly twice as much is charged to out-of-state students as it is to in-state students. Remember that this does not include other college costs, such as housing, food, and transportation.
At a Texas public institution, the average cost for in-state students, including housing and food, is $18,000. If you decide to study at a private institution, you should expect to spend at least $48,000 yearly.
Since location affects costs like rent, food, and gas, it also helps to calculate the overall cost of college. Certain locations, like Dallas, have a higher cost of living than others. Cities like Amarillo and Brownsville, as well as more remote areas, are among Texas’s least expensive neighborhoods.
The cheapest graduate schools in Texas include:
If you’re an out-of-state student, expect to pay twice the in-state tuition.
The most expensive graduate schools in Texas include:
If you’re an out-of-state student, working on your residency status is important. Texas requires you to spend a full year in the state before you are regarded as a resident.
Unfortunately, being in the state for one year as a college student in a dorm room on campus does not count. What you can do is rent an apartment instead of living on campus. It’s also important to have the right paper trails, including a driver’s license in the state, registering to vote, and paying taxes.
Contact the financial assistance office if you have your eye on a specific college but are concerned about the expense of attending as an out-of-state student. Getting financial aid, scholarships, and grants can help cut the cost of attending college.
Enrolling in a public college or university is the way to go if you really want to save money. The Texas government funds public colleges, which reduces a student’s tuition and fees significantly. Public universities have fewer requirements and more lenient admissions than private institutions.
Students can lower their overall college expenses by transferring credits from previous education. To be able to transfer credits, make sure that your last degree is from an accredited institution.
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.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
For students who prefer a more intimate educational environment, Texas offers a long list of smaller public and private colleges and universities, such as Abilene Christian University and University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Additionally, Texas has generous loan forgiveness programs for qualifying nurses, physicians, teachers, legal aid attorneys, and lawyers who work in the Texas Attorney General’s office.
Texas is known for doing things big. Big cities, big open spaces and, of course, big fun. Whether you’re hitting up the live music scene in Austin, catching a Cowboys game in Dallas, or strolling down the River Walk in San Antonio, you’re sure to have a good time. And, with more than 150 higher education institutes, it’s safe to say The Lone Star State is big on education too.
If you’re looking to earn your degree in the state of Texas, you’ll have plenty of higher learning institutes to choose from.
There are 45 doctorate-granting graduate schools in Texas. Our ranking of the best graduate schools in the Texas is composed of both private and public schools. To be included, schools must be fully accredited non-profit institutions, and must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
88%
Student body
45K
Median SAT/ACT
1340/29
University of Texas at Austin’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
83%
Student body
61K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/29
Texas A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
92%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1515/35
Rice University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
62%
Student body
39K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/25
University of Houston’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
82%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1350/31
Southern Methodist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$50K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
82%
Student body
18K
Baylor University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
63%
Student body
36K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/24
Texas Tech University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
72%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1335/29
University of Texas at Dallas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
60%
Student body
36K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/23
University of North Texas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
51%
Student body
37K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/24
University of Texas at Arlington’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
83%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/28
Texas Christian University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
90%
Graduation
51%
Student body
29K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/22
University of Texas at San Antonio’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
100%
Graduation
45%
Student body
20K
University of Texas at El Paso’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
23%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
965/18
Texas Southern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
57%
Student body
32K
Median SAT/ACT
1095/22
Texas State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
57%
Student body
19K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/20
Sam Houston State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
60%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/24
Abilene Christian University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
59%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1120/23
St. Mary's University, Texas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
72%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1240/26
University of Dallas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
39%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1041/20
Lamar University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
51%
Student body
29K
Median SAT/ACT
987/19
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
58%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/20
University of the Incarnate Word’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
42%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
955/18
Prairie View A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
44%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1090/22
Houston Christian University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
53%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/21
Stephen F. Austin State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.