Most Selective Colleges in Texas
Ranked by acceptance rate (71 colleges with at least 500 undergraduates). Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
| # | College | Acceptance rate | Net price | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice University Houston, TX · Private nonprofit | 8% | $13,370 | $89,718 |
| 2 | Trinity University San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit | 26% | $23,464 | $71,668 |
| 3 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX · Public | 27% | $19,857 | $75,121 |
| 4 | LeTourneau University Longview, TX · Private nonprofit | 38% | $28,185 | $57,103 |
| 5 | Huston-Tillotson University Austin, TX · Private nonprofit | 39% | $19,719 | $42,937 |
| 6 | Paul Quinn College Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit | 40% | $12,709 | $29,288 |
| 7 | Southwestern University Georgetown, TX · Private nonprofit | 43% | $29,224 | $56,878 |
| 8 | Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX · Public | 44% | $3,637 | $48,386 |
| 9 | Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit | 44% | $36,660 | $68,424 |
| 10 | Austin College Sherman, TX · Private nonprofit | 48% | $21,107 | $61,296 |
| 11 | Baylor University Waco, TX · Private nonprofit | 51% | $41,104 | $65,793 |
| 12 | Hallmark University San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit | 51% | $12,513 | $40,183 |
| 13 | University of Dallas Irving, TX · Private nonprofit | 53% | $22,610 | $58,285 |
| 14 | Wayland Baptist University Plainview, TX · Private nonprofit | 56% | $20,590 | $51,838 |
| 15 | McMurry University Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit | 57% | $19,581 | $48,779 |
| 16 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public | 57% | $21,315 | $72,097 |
| 17 | East Texas Baptist University Marshall, TX · Private nonprofit | 58% | $23,911 | $52,788 |
| 18 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit | 63% | $40,892 | $78,354 |
| 19 | Texas A&M University-Texarkana Texarkana, TX · Public | 64% | $12,997 | $45,515 |
| 20 | The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX · Public | 65% | $18,267 | $68,227 |
| 21 | Abilene Christian University Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit | 66% | $26,182 | $55,736 |
| 22 | Howard Payne University Brownwood, TX · Private nonprofit | 67% | $23,627 | $48,376 |
| 23 | Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit | 69% | $24,066 | $54,053 |
| 24 | University of North Texas Denton, TX · Public | 72% | $15,649 | $57,010 |
| 25 | Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX · Public | 73% | $19,070 | $62,454 |
| 26 | Lubbock Christian University Lubbock, TX · Private nonprofit | 73% | $24,456 | $53,787 |
| 27 | University of Houston Houston, TX · Public | 74% | $14,276 | $62,377 |
| 28 | Southwestern Adventist University Keene, TX · Private nonprofit | 78% | $22,778 | $52,946 |
| 29 | Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX · Public | 79% | $13,570 | $45,411 |
| 30 | The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX · Public | 80% | $13,951 | $63,199 |
| 31 | Saint Edward's University Austin, TX · Private nonprofit | 81% | $25,578 | $58,826 |
| 32 | Angelo State University San Angelo, TX · Public | 83% | $15,091 | $50,116 |
| 33 | Chamberlain University-Texas Houston, TX · Private for-profit | 84% | $32,209 | $92,405 |
| 34 | Houston Christian University Houston, TX · Private nonprofit | 84% | $20,629 | $55,933 |
| 35 | University of North Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX · Public | 84% | $6,420 | — |
| 36 | Lamar University Beaumont, TX · Public | 86% | $9,366 | $49,652 |
| 37 | The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX · Public | 87% | $10,836 | $57,131 |
| 38 | Schreiner University Kerrville, TX · Private nonprofit | 88% | $21,507 | $52,228 |
| 39 | Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX · Public | 89% | $15,225 | $51,865 |
| 40 | Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit | 89% | $28,516 | $56,807 |
| 41 | Nelson University Waxahachie, TX · Private nonprofit | 89% | $21,662 | $46,238 |
| 42 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX · Public | 89% | $16,805 | $56,906 |
| 43 | Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX · Public | 90% | $20,783 | $53,040 |
| 44 | University of St Thomas Houston, TX · Private nonprofit | 90% | $19,359 | $59,224 |
| 45 | University of Houston-Downtown Houston, TX · Public | 90% | $10,542 | $53,551 |
| 46 | Hardin-Simmons University Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit | 90% | $19,555 | $54,771 |
| 47 | Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX · Public | 90% | $16,404 | $54,211 |
| 48 | University of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX · Public | 91% | $15,563 | $59,004 |
| 49 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX · Public | 91% | $12,090 | $51,450 |
| 50 | Concordia University Texas Austin, TX · Private nonprofit | 91% | $23,131 | $60,883 |
| 51 | East Texas A&M University Commerce, TX · Public | 92% | $11,841 | $50,296 |
| 52 | Texas A&M University-San Antonio San Antonio, TX · Public | 93% | $11,196 | $54,338 |
| 53 | Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, TX · Public | 94% | $11,656 | $55,747 |
| 54 | Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX · Public | 94% | $14,260 | $49,634 |
| 55 | The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX · Public | 94% | $13,323 | $57,053 |
| 56 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX · Public | 94% | $4,831 | $49,620 |
| 57 | The University of Texas Permian Basin Odessa, TX · Public | 95% | $12,723 | $56,073 |
| 58 | Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX · Private nonprofit | 96% | $24,654 | $53,863 |
| 59 | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Belton, TX · Private nonprofit | 96% | $26,106 | $56,132 |
| 60 | Texas A&M University-Victoria Victoria, TX · Public | 96% | $8,109 | $54,467 |
| 61 | Texas Woman's University Denton, TX · Public | 96% | $11,963 | $56,544 |
| 62 | Texas Southern University Houston, TX · Public | 97% | $16,590 | $38,924 |
| 63 | St. Mary's University San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit | 98% | $21,145 | $56,955 |
| 64 | University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit | 98% | $22,775 | $56,733 |
| 65 | West Texas A & M University Canyon, TX · Public | 99% | $19,487 | $50,741 |
| 66 | Sul Ross State University Alpine, TX · Public | 99% | $13,286 | $41,871 |
| 67 | The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX · Public | 100% | $9,403 | $50,923 |
| 68 | Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online Addison, TX · Private nonprofit | 100% | $23,698 | $55,736 |
| 69 | Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas Dallas, TX · Private for-profit | 100% | $38,488 | $34,657 |
| 70 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas Killeen, TX · Public | 100% | $1,300 | — |
| 71 | Baptist Health System School of Health Professions San Antonio, TX · Private for-profit | 100% | — | $74,220 |