When you think of the southwest, you likely think of Westerns and deserts, and it’s true, there are deserts in the region. However, the region has so much to offer students and visitors. The southwest region of the United States is home to sweeping vistas, snow capped mountains, and stunning wildlife – and some of the best colleges in the country.
The top 25 best colleges in the southwestern United States list below contains schools from Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.
Top 25 Best Colleges in the Southwest US
A selective school, only 8% of applicants are accepted into Rice. The school has 11 residential colleges and eight schools of academic study. Rice University was established in 1912 and named after William Marsh Rice. He had requested a free-tuition educational institute be opened after his death.
Location
Houston, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
8,672
Also known as UT Austin, UT, or Texas, the University of Texas at Austin was founded in 1883, but the first mention of it can be traced back to 1827. Famous alumni include Wes Anderson, James Baker, Matthew McConaughey, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. The most popular majors at UT are Biological Sciences, Psychology, and Computer Information and Sciences.
Location
Austin, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
52,384
Trinity University is a liberal arts college that was started in 1869. It's a fairly selective school accepting 30% of applications, and it does not charge for undergraduate applications. The school offers over 110 areas of study, the most popular of which are Finance, Accounting, and Computer and Information Sciences.
Location
San Antonio, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,692
Also known as SMU, the Southern Methodist University receives over 16,000 applications per year, and accepts about 53% of them. About 39.6% of first-year students come from Texas; others come from Florida, New York, and California to attend. Additionally, 90% of those first-years continue their education at SMU.
Location
Dallas, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
12,053
Also known as TCU, this school has an impressive 92% freshman retention rate. 88% of the students at Texas Christian University receive institutional aid to help cover the cost of college. Registered Nursing and Finance are the most pursued majors. Purple and white are the official school colors.
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
12,273
College Station is the flagship campus of the Texas A&M University system and a land-, sea-, and space-grant school. Also known as TAMU, the school has an impressive 95% first-year retention rate and a 6-year graduation rate of 84%. Maroon and white are the official colors of the Texas A&M Aggies.
Location
College Station, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
74,014
Baylor University’s campus sits along the Brazos River. Quite a few notable alumni have come out of Baylor’s halls, including director John Lee Hanock, comedian Jeff Dunham, author Thomas Harris, and gold-medal Olympian Michael Johnson. Baylor has a 15 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio and a 6-year graduation rate of 81%.
Location
Waco, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
20,709
Royal blue, old gold, and crimson are the three official school colors of the University of Tulsa. The sports teams, known as the Golden Hurricanes, compete in rowing, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and others. The student-to-faculty ratio of UT is 10 to 1. Alumni include inventors, businessmen, actors, scientists, and politicians.
Location
Tulsa, OK
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,769
A public research university, the University of Oklahoma - Norman offers up to the doctor’s degree level of education. They have an 88% first-year retention rate and a 76% 6-year graduation rate. Students come from all over to study at OU, but primarily from Oklahoma and Texas.
Location
Norman, OK
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
28,308
The University of Texas at Dallas has a very inspiring motto: “A cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy.” 69% of the student body are studying for their bachelor’s degree, though the school offers up to doctoral degrees. UT Dallas athletic teams are known as the Comets, and their mascot is Temoc (comet spelled backwards).
Location
Richardson, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
31,570
Austin College has a rather unique mascot - a kangaroo! The Fighting Kangaroo teams wear crimson and gold to represent the school colors. Alumni of Austin College have gone on to have impressive careers as musicians, politicians, educators, athletes, and authors. The school does not charge application fees and its acceptance rate is 54%.
Location
Sherman, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
1,182
The University of Arizona is actually older than the state itself. Founded in 1885, Arizona became a state later in 1912. 78% of the attending students are pursuing their bachelor’s degree. Psychology is the most popular major among students, and the school has at least one first-year student from every state plus Washington DC.
Location
Tucson, AZ
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
49,403
A small liberal arts school, Southwestern University has just above a 44% acceptance rate. They do not charge students to a fee to apply, and 97% of students receive institutional aid to help pay the costs of college. Business / Commerce is the most popular major, followed by Psychology, Biology, and Kinesiology and Exercise Science.
Location
Georgetown, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
1,483
Also known as U of H, this university has the motto “In Tempore” which means “In Time.” Speaking of time, 63% of students will graduate within 6 years. Nearly 96% of the incoming students call the state of Texas home. Notable alumni from UH include singer Lizzo, actor Jim Parsons, basketball Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, and NFL coach Wade Phillips.
Location
Houston, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
46,700
“Veritatem, Justitiam Diligite” is the motto of the University of Dallas. In English it means “Love Ye Truth and Justice.” The UD Crusaders compete in sports like soccer, lacrosse, track and field, and basketball. 62% of the students study at the undergraduate level. The University of Dallas also has a 12 to 1 student to faculty ratio and an 77% first year retention rate.
Location
Irving, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,328
Texas Tech’s school motto is, “From here, it's possible.” The school has an acceptance rate of 68% and first year retention rate of 86%. Scarlet and black are the official colors of the Texas Tech Scarlet Raiders. They compete in sports like track, football, basketball, tennis, and baseball with their mascot, The Masked Rider, cheering them on.
Location
Lubbock, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
40,378
Blue and white are the colors of Oklahoma City University’s Stars. Their mascot is a ram named Starsky. There are more female students than male students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels - 66% are women. Nearly all students on campus receive institutional financial aid to help pay for college.
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,550
The main campus of six in the system, OSU Stillwater is also the state’s public flagship university. Nearly 82% of students are pursuing their bachelor’s degree, and the school offers up to doctoral degrees. Business Administration and Management, Marketing, and Mechanical Engineering are the three most popular majors, and OSU Stillwater boasts an 83% first-year retention rate.
Location
Stillwater, OK
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
25,372
St. Edward's University is a liberal arts college with a Roman Catholic religious affiliation. The school offers more than 55 undergraduate and graduate programs along with over 100 student organizations. Almost all students receive some sort of grant aid. The most popular majors at the school are Psychology, Communication, and Business Administration and Management.
Location
Austin, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,470
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott campus is located just north of a wildlife sanctuary and the Willow Creek Reservoir. Alumni of the school have gone on to have impressive careers as astronauts, scientists, military members, authors, athletes, and politicians. 96% receive institutional grant aid while attending, too.
Location
Prescott, AZ
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,162
St. John’s College sits in the shadow of Atalaya Mountain. Students will study interdisciplinary ideas across the humanities and sciences and ultimately graduate with a degree in Liberal Arts/Liberal Studies. The mascot of the New Mexico branch of St. John’s is the axolotl. Only about 11% of the first-year class call New Mexico home; others hail from primarily Texas and California.
Location
Santa Fe, NM
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
439
LeTourneau University got its start as the LeTourneau Technical Institute in 1946 where the classes were almost entirely veterans who had just returned from World War II. It would get its current name in 1989. 98% of students attending today receive institutional grants from the university – an average of $17,773 per student.
Location
Longview, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,536
Also called ACU, this university offers up to doctoral degrees. 63% of the students, however, study at the undergraduate level. Business Administration and Management is the most popular major, followed by Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist, Educational Leadership and Administration, and Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. Purple and white are the official colors of the ACU Wildcats and their mascot is named Willie.
Location
Abilene, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
5,079
Tempe is home to the main campus of the Arizona State University system. One of the buildings on campus, the Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The school receives over 61,000 applications every year and accepts about 49% of those. 85% of the students at ASU Tempe get institutional aid to help pay for college.
Location
Tempe, AZ
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
80,065
The University of St Thomas is located in Houston’s Museum District and Innovation Corridor. UST receives around 1,590 applications each year. It costs nothing to apply and the school’s acceptance rate is 93%. The most popular majors among students are Registered Nursing, Educational Leadership and Administration, and Business Administration.
Location
Houston, TX
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,588
State Grant Aid in the Southwest US
College is expensive, but grants and scholarships make attending and affording the high costs a reality. Many states, including those in the southwest, offer state grants to their students. Do you currently live in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, or Arizona? See what your state has to offer if you attend college in your state of residence. Our State Grants Guide helps you find those resources.
Why is the Southwest Region a Great Place to Go to School?
For those who like it hot, the southwest may at the top of your list for potential regions to go to college in!
From the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico and the Beavers Bend State Park and Nature Center in Oklahoma to the Natural Bridge Caverns nature preserve in Texas, there are plenty of parks and sites to behold in these states.
The cities themselves are rich with culture and fun activities. Dallas and Houston in particular are hotspots for various cultures. During your downtime at school, plan some trips to the Oklahoma City Zoo, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and the Space Center Houston. Or visit one of the many botanical gardens found in this part of the United States.
This part of the United States definitely has a lot to offer students who love the outdoors and various cultures. If attending school in the southwest sounds good to you, start with these best colleges in the southwest.
Methodology
Colleges are ranked based on a combination of factors, including graduation rates, campus diversity, endowment per student, and other data as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently available enrollment year. Some colleges may have been excluded from rankings based on certain criteria, including specialization and classification. Learn about our full methodology.
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