Best Private Colleges in Texas 2024

Badge for BEST IN TEXAS PRIVATE COLLEGES

Published: Mar 15, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Texas.

Rice University
Southern Methodist University
Baylor University
Texas Christian University
Trinity University
St. Mary's University, Texas
University of Dallas
Abilene Christian University
Southwestern University
Wiley College

University of St. Thomas 97%
University of the Incarnate Word 94%
Dallas Baptist University 91%
Hardin–Simmons University 88%
St. Mary's University, Texas 86%
Concordia University Texas 86%
St. Edward's University 85%
Schreiner University 85%
Houston Christian University 84%
Wayland Baptist University 70%

Paul Quinn College 20 to 1
Concordia University Texas 18 to 1
Wiley College 18 to 1
Dallas Baptist University 17 to 1
Texas College 17 to 1
Hardin–Simmons University 16 to 1
Schreiner University 15 to 1
Baylor University 15 to 1
Houston Christian University 15 to 1
Texas Wesleyan University 14 to 1

Southern Methodist University $61,980
Rice University $54,960
Texas Christian University $53,980
Baylor University $51,738
St. Edward's University $50,766
Trinity University $49,264
Southwestern University $48,650
University of Dallas $48,000
Austin College $44,950
Abilene Christian University $40,500

Rice University $51,634
Baylor University $38,772
University of Dallas $33,750
Texas Christian University $33,660
Southern Methodist University $31,590
Austin College $29,415
St. Edward's University $28,980
Abilene Christian University $24,174
Trinity University $23,597
Schreiner University $22,752

LeTourneau University
Hardin–Simmons University
Wayland Baptist University
Paul Quinn College
Schreiner University
Texas Wesleyan University
Our Lady of the Lake University
Wiley College
University of St. Thomas
Dallas Baptist University

Our Lady of the Lake University
LeTourneau University
Schreiner University
Concordia University Texas
Hardin–Simmons University
Wayland Baptist University
Texas Wesleyan University
Paul Quinn College
Houston Christian University
St. Edward's University

Rice University 9%
Trinity University 31%
Southwestern University 45%
Baylor University 46%
LeTourneau University 49%
Southern Methodist University 52%
Austin College 54%
Texas Christian University 56%
Paul Quinn College 57%
University of Dallas 59%

Rice University 6 to 1
Wayland Baptist University 8 to 1
Trinity University 9 to 1
St. Mary's University, Texas 11 to 1
Our Lady of the Lake University 11 to 1
Southern Methodist University 11 to 1
Southwestern University 11 to 1
Austin College 11 to 1
University of Dallas 12 to 1
Abilene Christian University 13 to 1

Texas College $10,008
Wiley College $13,500
Paul Quinn College $13,798
Wayland Baptist University $22,368
Our Lady of the Lake University $31,124
Hardin–Simmons University $31,686
University of St. Thomas $32,484
University of the Incarnate Word $34,400
LeTourneau University $34,470
St. Mary's University, Texas $35,226

Paul Quinn College $9,456
Houston Christian University $10,924
Concordia University Texas $12,308
Wayland Baptist University $14,112
Hardin–Simmons University $14,310
Texas Wesleyan University $15,869
LeTourneau University $16,875
Our Lady of the Lake University $17,316
University of the Incarnate Word $18,900
St. Mary's University, Texas $19,224

Table of Contents

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.

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.

What are Texas’s Colleges & Universities?

Texas’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Texas's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 38 private universities in Texas. To be included in the list below of the 30 best private universities in Texas, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.

Best Private Colleges in Texas 2023

Texas’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 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.

Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.

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Best Private Colleges in Texas 2024

10 Best Private Colleges in Texas

Colleges and Universities in Texas

What are Texas’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Private Colleges in Texas 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Rice University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Southern Methodist University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Baylor University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Texas Christian University

Most Influential Alumni

Texas Christian University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Trinity University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Abilene Christian University

Most Influential Alumni

Abilene Christian University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at St. Mary's University, Texas

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Dallas

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of the Incarnate Word

University of the Incarnate Word’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Austin College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Houston Christian University

Most Influential Alumni

Houston Christian University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Southwestern University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Texas College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at St. Edward's University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Concordia University Texas

Most Influential Alumni

Concordia University Texas’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Dallas Baptist University

Most Influential Alumni

Dallas Baptist University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of St. Thomas

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Wiley College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Our Lady of the Lake University

Our Lady of the Lake University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Texas Wesleyan University

Most Influential Alumni

Texas Wesleyan University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Schreiner University

Career Outlook for degree at Paul Quinn College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Wayland Baptist University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Hardin–Simmons University

Most Influential Alumni

Hardin–Simmons University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at LeTourneau University

Most Influential Alumni

LeTourneau University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Texas’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest