Texas’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities of 2021
Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Texas offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.
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.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
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
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
How do we determine Texas's best 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.
Texas’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified a total of 46 liberal arts colleges and universities in Texas, 28 of which meet our criteria. The list below of the 20 best liberal arts schools in the state satisfies the following four conditions:
- It must be a non-profit institution.
- It must be fully accredited.
- It must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.
- It must have a graduation rate of greater than 40%
20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Texas
- #1University of Dallas#1264 institution's overall influence#1419 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$43K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
68%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1245/27
Irving, TXView profile
- #2Houston Baptist University#1756 institution's overall influence#270 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
48%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/21
Houston, TXView profile
- #3St. Mary's University, Texas#1256 institution's overall influence#282 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
63%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/23
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:
- Law
- Education
- Political Science
- Medical
- Communications
- History
- Philosophy
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- Literature
Most Influential Alumni
- #4Trinity University#1009 institution's overall influence#236 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$45K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
80%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1370/30
San Antonio, TXView profile
- #5University of St. Thomas#2928 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
57%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/23
Houston, TXView profile
What is University of St. Thomas known for?
University of St. Thomas 's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Religious Studies
- Psychology
- Political Science
- History
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Communications
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #6Southwestern University#1444 institution's overall influence#1188 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
49%
Graduation
74%
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:
- Education
- Literature
- Business
- Religious Studies
- History
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #7Hardin–Simmons University#2069 institution's overall influence#1182 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$30K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
51%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1056/20
Abilene, TXView profile
What is Hardin–Simmons University known for?
Most Influential Alumni
- #8LeTourneau University#3506 institution's overall influence#202 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
59%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1200/25
Longview, TXView profile
- #9Howard Payne University#1452 institution's overall influence#939 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
49%
Graduation
41%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1025/21
Brownwood, TXView profile
What is Howard Payne University known for?
Howard Payne University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Education
- Medical
- History
- Business
- Religious Studies
- Law
- Biology
- Political Science
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #10Abilene Christian University#1188 institution's overall influence#771 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
61%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1122/24
Abilene, TXView profile
What is Abilene Christian University known for?
Abilene Christian University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Education
- History
- Literature
- Communications
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Psychology
- Biology
- Engineering
Most Influential Alumni
- #11St. Edward's University#2296 institution's overall influence#364 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
64%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1152/25
Austin, TXView profile
What is St. Edward's University known for?
St. Edward's University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Philosophy
- Business
- Education
- Political Science
- Chemistry
- History
- Literature
- Computer Science
- Communications
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #12Austin College#1861 institution's overall influence#1129 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$41K
Acceptance
49%
Graduation
67%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/26
Sherman, TXView profile
- #13Texas A&M International University#3363 institution's overall influence#896 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
44%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/18
Laredo, TXView profile
- #14Midwestern State University#3771 institution's overall influence#899 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
45%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1025/19
Wichita Falls, TXView profile
What is Midwestern State University known for?
Midwestern State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Medical
- Business
- Psychology
- History
- Political Science
- Communications
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- #15Southwestern Adventist University#5873 institution's overall influence#656 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$22K
Acceptance
62%
Graduation
37%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
985/19
Keene, TXView profile
- #16Southwestern Assemblies of God University#4803 institution's overall influence#92 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
43%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/19
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:
- Education
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Literature
- Business
- History
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #17West Texas A&M University#2413 institution's overall influence#1327 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
41%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/20
Canyon, TXView profile
What is West Texas A&M University known for?
West Texas A&M University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Education
- History
- Biology
- Law
- Medical
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Communications
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #18Tarleton State University#3054 institution's overall influence#762 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
46%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/20
Stephenville, TXView profile
What is Tarleton State University known for?
Tarleton State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- History
- Medical
- Biology
- Business
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Communications
- Literature
- Earth Sciences
Most Influential Alumni
- #19Texas Lutheran University#4789 institution's overall influence#205 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
52%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1075/22
Seguin, TXView profile
What is Texas Lutheran University known for?
Most Influential Alumni
- #20Schreiner University#4112 institution's overall influence#685 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$30K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
48%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1015/20
Kerrville, TXView profile
What is Schreiner University known for?
Schreiner University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Chemistry
- Business
- Nursing
- Medical
- History
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- Biology
- Religious Studies
Most Influential Alumni
Find the Best Schools in Texas 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
