the future of education

UT Austin shines as the 2nd best college in Texas on 2025 list

University of Texas at Austin, UT Austin

Go Longhorns. Photo courtesy of U.S. News & World Report

The most prestigious higher education institution in Austin has done it again: The University of Texas at Austin has ranked among the top three best colleges and universities in Texas for 2025, according to personal finance website WalletHub.

The just-released list analyzed more than 800 colleges and universities in the United States using 30 metrics to determine their rankings.

UT Austin claimed the No. 2 spot in Texas and No. 11 in WalletHub's regional category of best universities in the South. The school also ranked as the No. 53 best college nationwide.

The public university performed the best in the category for best graduation rates, ranking No. 2 with a 73 percent graduation rate, according to U.S. News & World Report. UT has an acceptance rate of 29 percent, which earned the school third place in the ranking for the best admission rates. UT also ranked 3rd for its post-attendance median salary.

The school ranked 35th in the category for net cost. Tuition and fees at UT Austin cost $11,678 per year for in-state students, and $42,778 for out-of-state students.

Here's how WalletHub broke down the rest of UT Austin's ranking, where No. 1 is the best and No. 49 is the worst:

No. 5 – Gender and racial diversity
No. 10 – On-campus crime
No. 32 – Student-faculty ratio

UT's recent accolades add to an ongoing winning streak of high rankings. In September, the university ranked as the No. 2 best Texas college for 2025 by U.S. News, and No. 30 nationally. Education information and review platform Niche also recently ranked UT the 9th best public university in the country and the No. 2 best in Texas for 2025. And Forbes named UT Austin No. 46 in its 2024-25 list of top U.S. colleges.

In the spring, UT Austin maintained its status as the top graduate university in Texas by U.S. News, earning the No. 1 spot in all statewide rankings, including Best Education Schools (as in, schools for aspiring educators), Best Law Schools, Best Business Schools, and Best Nursing Schools.

The only other Austin-area university to earn a spot in WalletHub's report was Southwestern University in Georgetown, earning No. 5 in Texas and No. 165 nationally. Southwestern also ranked No. 33 in the regional ranking of best colleges in the South.

The top five best colleges and universities in the nation are Princeton University (No. 1), Yale University (No. 2), Harvard University (No. 3), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 4), and Dartmouth College (No. 5).

The top 10 colleges and universities in Texas are:

No. 1 – Rice University
No. 2 – The University of Texas at Austin
No. 3 – Trinity University
No. 4 – Texas A&M University-College Station
No. 5 – Southwestern University
No. 6 – Texas Christian University
No. 7 – Austin College
No. 8 – Texas A&M International University
No. 9 – University of Dallas
No. 10 – Southern Methodist University

The full report can be found on wallethub.com.

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Medieval Magic

Faire near Austin wins a most wondrous award for Best Medieval Festival

Festival goers in an early Sherwood Forest Faire Parade. Photo courtesy of Sherwood Forest Faire Facebook.

Hear ye, hear ye! Texas' beloved Sherwood Forest Faire has just been named the Best Medieval Festival in the Renaissance Festival Awards.

For those who aren't in the Ren faire world, the awards are organized by The Renaissance Festival Podcast. Listeners from all over the country were asked to vote for their favorite Ren faire in several categories, and Sherwood Forest Faire won Best Medieval Festival overall. The results were announced earlier this month.

“We are thrilled and honored to be voted Best Medieval Festival by The Renaissance Festival Podcast! A huge thank you to everyone who cast their vote for Sherwood Forest Faire. Your support means the world to us," says Sherwood Forest Faire co-founder George Appling in a press release.

"To our patrons, cast, staff, merchants, artisans, and every single person who has been part of our Sherwood family, this award is as much yours as it is ours. Your dedication, talent, and enthusiasm bring Sherwood to life year after year, and we couldn’t do it without you," he adds.

Sherwood Forest Faire started in 2010 and roughly follows the story and theme of Robin Hood and his Merry Men across a 25-acre plot of land east of Austin. Unlike the larger Texas Renaissance Festival which takes place in the fall near Houston, Sherwood Forest Faire happens each weekend between March 1 and April 20. Also unlike its bigger Ren Faire sister, the smaller Sherwood Forest Faire is just about an hour drive from Austin in McDade, Texas, making it an easier day tip for locals.

Every weekend, rain or shine, Sherwood Forest Faire features 150 shows, from jousting and falconry to underwater escape artists. There are artisans and markets galore; turkey legs to feast upon; live music; traditional crafts; storytellers and jesters; campgrounds for overnighters, and even "castle accommodations" for the lords and ladies who can swing such luxuries. (Though the Sherwood Forest Faire website indicates the castle is fully booked for this year.)

This annual event has come a long way from when Appling started things in 2010. At the time, this small endeavor was a way for the then 40-year-old to swap his high-flying corporate career for a life more focused on his passions. These days, Appling's little passion project attracts over 150,000 annually, according to the release.

“I get to apply my business skills to the building of the company," Applying says in the press release, "but my passion for it hasn't diminished at all–what I love to do most is go to the fair.”

The Sherwood Forest Faire is located in a medieval-style village in McDade Texas. Tickets are still available for weekends through April 20 at sherwoodforestfaire.com.

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