2026 Best Private Colleges in Texas

Name: 2026 Best Private Colleges in Texas (Kollegio college rankings)
Creator: Kollegio
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

37 Texas schools ranked in Kollegio's 2026 Best Private Colleges ranking, based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.

Showing 1–25 of 37 colleges · How we rank colleges

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Cost of attendance after aid

ⓘ

$77,180

Institution type

2 Year4 Year5 Year

Field of study

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Campus Detail

Institution setting

AllCitySuburbanRural

Undergraduate enrollment

ⓘ

268763

Financial

Alumni starting salary

Tuition cost

ⓘ

$67,000

In-state tuition

ⓘ

Proportion of need based aid received

ⓘ

100%Clear Filter

International students received aid

ⓘ

100%

Average aid package

ⓘ

$82,308

Application fee

ⓘ

$150

Academics

Mean GPA

ⓘ

Mean SAT

ⓘ

1200

Mean ACT

ⓘ

#1 Best Private Colleges

Rice University

Houston

Acceptance rate

7.9%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$52,070

Avg. Cost after Aid

$12,640

#2 Best Private Colleges

Trinity University

San Antonio

Acceptance rate

28.2%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$46,776

Avg. Cost after Aid

$27,000

#3 Best Private Colleges

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth

Acceptance rate

42.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$51,570

Avg. Cost after Aid

$43,000

#4 Best Private Colleges

Southern Methodist University

Dallas

Acceptance rate

61.2%

Institution type

UPWG

Total Tuition Cost

$53,464

Avg. Cost after Aid

$42,000

#5 Best Private Colleges

Baylor University

Waco

Acceptance rate

51.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$50,232

Avg. Cost after Aid

$46,000

#6 Best Private Colleges

Austin College

Sherman

Acceptance rate

46.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$43,340

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,000

#7 Best Private Colleges

Southwestern University

Georgetown

Acceptance rate

39.1%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$46,800

Avg. Cost after Aid

$28,000

#8 Best Private Colleges

University of Dallas

Irving

Acceptance rate

54.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$43,326

Avg. Cost after Aid

$26,000

#9 Best Private Colleges

LeTourneau University

Longview

Acceptance rate

40.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$32,690

Avg. Cost after Aid

$26,000

#10 Best Private Colleges

Abilene Christian University

Abilene

Acceptance rate

63.9%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$39,250

Avg. Cost after Aid

$30,000

#11 Best Private Colleges

St. Edward's University

Austin

Acceptance rate

83.7%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$49,146

Avg. Cost after Aid

$25,000

#12 Best Private Colleges

University of St. Thomas

Houston

Acceptance rate

93.3%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$30,800

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,275

#13 Best Private Colleges

Lubbock Christian University

Lubbock

Acceptance rate

73.2%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$24,700

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,000

#14 Best Private Colleges

East Texas Baptist University

Marshall

Acceptance rate

60.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$26,700

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,000

#15 Best Private Colleges

Southwestern Adventist University

Keene

Acceptance rate

55.5%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$22,848

Avg. Cost after Aid

$18,000

#16 Best Private Colleges

St. Mary's University of San Antonio

San Antonio

Acceptance rate

97.8%

Institution type

UPWG

Total Tuition Cost

$33,518

Avg. Cost after Aid

$18,000

#17 Best Private Colleges

Dallas Baptist University

Dallas

Acceptance rate

91.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$32,220

Avg. Cost after Aid

$28,000

#18 Best Private Colleges

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio

Acceptance rate

93.4%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$31,800

Avg. Cost after Aid

$21,000

#19 Best Private Colleges

Houston Christian University

Houston

Acceptance rate

85.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$33,250

Avg. Cost after Aid

$20,000

#20 Best Private Colleges

Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth

Acceptance rate

62.4%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$29,898

Avg. Cost after Aid

$21,000

#21 Best Private Colleges

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Belton

Acceptance rate

95.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$27,020

Avg. Cost after Aid

$30,000

#22 Best Private Colleges

Southwestern Assemblies of God University

Waxahachie

Acceptance rate

84.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$16,444

Avg. Cost after Aid

$22,000

#23 Best Private Colleges

McMurry University

Abilene

Acceptance rate

57.6%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$29,100

Avg. Cost after Aid

$22,000

#24 Best Private Colleges

Texas Lutheran University

Seguin

Acceptance rate

94.8%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$32,350

Avg. Cost after Aid

$20,000

#25 Best Private Colleges

Concordia University Texas

Austin

Acceptance rate

91.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$33,600

Avg. Cost after Aid

$30,000

2026 Best Private Colleges in Texas

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