Back-to-school season has returned in full force, and that means it's time for college rankings. Two local universities in particular are being hailed as the top of the class for 2027.
The high caliber schools — University of Texas at Austin and Southwestern University in Georgetown — earned new acclaim in The Princeton Review's new ranking of the "Best 392 Colleges" for 2027. Outside of town, Texas State University in San Marcos also earned high praise.
The Princeton Review's 35th annual "Best Colleges" rankings are determined by a survey of 172,000 current college students that gave "candid feedback" about their schools and their experiences. The flagship guide does not rank the schools overall, but it does rank them across 50 different categories, including best-run colleges, best quality of life, happiest students, best athletic facilities, among others.
In all, 14 Texas institutions were highlighted in the overall list of the 392 best colleges.
Schools don't pay to be included in the guide, but The Princeton Review clarified that schools could pay for a "featured" designation. Southwestern University and Trinity University in San Antonio were the only two Texas schools that paid to be "featured."
UT Austin was highlighted as one of the Best Value Colleges, Colleges That Create Futures, and the regional Best Southwest list that contained 41 universities across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. UT was also deemed a top Green College, which examined schools that "share superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education, and a healthy quality of life for students on campus."
UT also earned the following rankings on 9 other lists:
- No. 2 – Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurship Studies
- No. 2 – Top Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurship Studies in the Southwest
- No. 3 – Top 20 Best Alumni Networks (Public Schools)
- No. 9 – Top 20 Best Public Schools for Internships
- No. 14 – Top 50 Best Value Public Colleges
- No. 15 – Best Health Services
- No. 17 – Top 20 Best Public Schools for Career Placement
- No. 18 – Top 20 Best Value Public Colleges Without Aid
- No. 24 – Happiest Students
"With over 40,000 undergrads on campus, UT Austin is 'a huge school and has a lot to offer,' including 'experts in every field you can imagine' — to be precise, over 3,000 faculty and 156 degree programs," the school's profile said.
Top universities outside Austin
Southwestern University also appeared in the Best Southwest and Best Value Colleges lists, and it earned the following ranks in four other lists:
- No. 6 – Professors Get High Marks
- No. 18 – Best Career Services
- No. 23 – Lots of Greek Life
- No. 25 – Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
In addition to being named in the overall list, San Marcos'
Texas State University also appeared in the Best Southwest and Green Colleges lists.
"Given that Texas State caters to over 33,000 undergraduates and offers more than 200 degree programs, students admit that there are a number of large-class lectures," Texas State's profile says. "But the general high satisfaction of students speaks to the quality of classes, and the 'wonderful professors that ignite [their] academic passions.'"
The 11 other public and private universities in Texas included in The Princeton Review's 2027 guide are:
- Trinity University, San Antonio
- Baylor University, Waco
- Texas A&M University - College Station
- Rice University, Houston
- University of Houston
- Angelo State University, San Angelo
- Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
- University of Dallas, Irving
- Southern Methodist University, Dallas
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
- Austin College, Sherman
