Houston's Future

Forbes boldly includes Houston on list of America's next boomtowns, but questions linger

Houston's future remains bright, although the oil collapse could cast a long shadow, Forbes says.

Texas remains the land of opportunity, according to Forbes, which has named four cities in the top 10 of its predictions of America's next boomtowns.

Forbes analyzed the 53 largest metro areas in the country to determine which have the best chance of prospering in the next decade. The numbers illustrate two different kinds of cities: Technology hubs with higher incomes and an influx of educated young people and what Forbes calls "opportunity cities," which have more industry options, more families, and lower costs.

Austin, ranked No. 1, belongs to the former group. Surges in population, job growth, and education levels contribute to our boomtown status. Notes Forbes, Austin experienced a 13.2 percent population increase from 2010 to 2014, and 43 percent of the current population ages 25 to 44 have at least a bachelor's degree. Additionally, the local job count has grown by 19.1 percent in the past five years.

Texas' three largest metro areas: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio are also among the top 10 boomtowns. "The most vital parts of urban America can be encapsulated largely in one five-letter word: Texas," says Forbes.

These Texas cities have seen double-digit job growth as well as hikes in income growth, domestic in-migration, and young families. But Houston (No. 6), with its strong ties to the oil and gas industry, will need to take stock of its other assets, cautions Forbes.

Most economists do not see a total meltdown as occurred in the 1980s, but it would not be a surprise to see Houston fall out of our top 10 until energy prices recover. Economist Patrick Jankowski projects some 9,000 layoffs in the energy sector locally in 2016 but enough growth elsewhere — for example 9,000 new jobs in medical services — to keep employment expanding, although far below the pace of the last few years. The other, less energy-dependent Texas metro areas seem likely to continue their stellar performance.

However, Dallas-Fort Worth (No. 7) and San Antonio (No. 8) are on track to "continue their stellar performance."

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best in the world

5 Houston universities named best in the world on new U.S. News list

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Many of the University of Houston's graduate degree programs are the best in the country.

Five Houston-area universities have been named among the best universities worldwide in U.S. News & World Report's just-released comprehensive list for 2026-2027.

U.S. News' Best Global Universities report ranks more than 2,250 schools based exclusively on their academic research performance and international reputation. Only 275 universities from the U.S. were included in the global ranking, and 21 based in Texas.

Harvard University topped the list for 2026-2027, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University claimed the coveted No. 2 and No. 3 spots worldwide.

Houston's Baylor College of Medicine topped the list of the best local schools, and it ranked as the 147th best university in the world.

Here's how the rest of Houston's local institutions ranked:

No. 204 – Rice University
No. 330 – University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
No. 393 – University of Houston
No. 605 – University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

In a statement explaining global university trends, the managing editor for Education at U.S. News, LaMont Jones, Ed.D., said schools in the U.S. have continued to rank "disproportionately high" while major universities from other countries in China and South America are starting to catch up.

"The continuing strength of [American university] reputations and academic research are, for the most part, unmatched," he said. "It's why students all over the world flock here to learn."

Top-ranking Texas universities
The University of Texas at Austin ranked No. 1 statewide and No. 56 worldwide, further cementing the university's reputation as the top choice for students seeking a higher education in Texas.

Earlier in June, UT Austin ranked No. 35 in a separate list of the best universities in the world from the Center for World University Rankings, which compared 2,000 schools globally.

Here's where other Texas universities stand among the top 1,000 in this year's global rankings:

No. 117 – University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
No. 180 – Texas A&M University, College Station
No. 301 – University of Texas at San Antonio
No. 454 – Baylor University, Waco
No. 509 – University of Texas at Dallas
No. 565 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock
No. 746 – University of North Texas, Denton
No. 884 – University of Texas at Arlington
No. 950 – Southern Methodist University, Dallas

Additionally, six Texas universities ranked outside the top 1,000: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (No. 1,160); University of Texas El Paso (No. 1,248); Texas State University in San Marcos (No. 1,531); Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock (No. 1,878); Texas Christian University in Fort Worth (No. 1,910); and Sam Houston State University in Huntsville (No. 2,145).

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Houston's Future

Forbes boldly includes Houston on list of America's next boomtowns, but questions linger

best in the world

5 Houston universities named best in the world on new U.S. News list

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