In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, Houston universities made a name for themselves. Rice University came in first, ahead of Texas A&M, and the University of Houston also made the list.
Houston's Rice University outranked Texas A&M in the QS 2026 World University Rankings, ranking No. 119 to A&M's No. 144.
Rice was the second-highest ranked university in Texas, behind UT Austin, which scored No. 68 globally and cracked the Top 20 U.S. universities. Rice is known for its academic prowess and strength in science, engineering, and business.
Houston's public education industry won big when the University of Houston placed 556 internationally. The QS report rates over 1,500 colleges worldwide based on academic performance, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, and global research impact.
Other Texas universities ranked were Texas Tech (731–740), University of North Texas (901–950), Baylor University, UT Arlington, UTSA, and UT El Paso (1,001–1,400).
While Austin was in the spotlight, Houston-area schools are making worldwide strides, proving Texas's academic brilliance extends beyond the capital.
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