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5 Houston universities land on U.S. News' 2026 list of best colleges

Rice is the No. 1 university in Texas for 2026, U.S. News says.

Rice University

Five Houston universities have been named among U.S. News and World Report's just-released list of best universities in the nation for 2026, with Rice University landing on top in Texas.

U.S. News' prestigious Best Colleges rankings annually compare nearly 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities using 17 metrics that measure "academic quality." Schools are ranked nationally, regionally, and by specialty.

Houston's "Harvard of the South" continues to reign as Texas' No. 1 university, and it reclaimed the No. 17 spot nationally after previously slipping into No. 18 last year. Rice is joined in Texas' top 10 by University of Houston and University of St. Thomas, Houston.

Rice has a competitive 8 percent acceptance rate, and students pay $60,709 yearly for tuition and fees, according to the school's profile.

This has proven to be a great year for the Rice Owls. The university's exceptional graduate business and entrepreneurship programs constantly land atop U.S. News' separate rankings of best grad schools, and its alumni reportedly experience notable long-term career success.

Forbes named Rice among its top universities for 2025, and the school also earned acclaim on The Princeton Review's "hall of fame" list of the best U.S. colleges for 2026.

Other top Houston schools
The University of Houston ranked as the 8th best Texas university for another consecutive year, and it tied for No. 132 in the national rankings after falling into No. 144 last year. Separately, the University of Houston, Clear Lake also appeared in the rankings, appearing at No. 318 nationally for 2026.

In-state tuition and fees add up to $11,882 a year for UH students, U.S. News says, and the public university boasts a 70 percent acceptance rate. Students benefit from having a 21:1 student-faculty ratio, and 34 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students.

This public university is also having a successful year: In July, UH archaeologists discovered a 1,700-year-old Mayan tomb, and earlier in September two UH science projects became finalists in a competition to win part of a $50 million research grant.

Elsewhere in Houston, the University of St. Thomas ranked as the 10th best university in Texas and tied for No. 198 nationwide, and Prairie View A&M University tied as No. 343 nationally for 2026.

U.S. News' top 10 best colleges in Texas for 2026 are:

No. 1 – Rice University, Houston
No. 2 – University of Texas at Austin
No. 3 – Texas A&M University, College Station
No. 4 – Baylor University, Waco
No. 5 – Southern Methodist University, Dallas
No. 6 – Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
No. 7 – The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
No. 8 – University of Houston
No. 9 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock
No. 10 – University of St. Thomas, Houston

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In the Spotlight

6 Houstonians featured on prestigious Inc. Female Founders 500 list

Photo courtesy of Rottet Studio

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Six Houston female entrepreneurs and innovators were named to the 2026 Female Founders 500 list.

The annual list compiled by Inc. Magazine recognizes female founders based in the U.S. who have built businesses that have moved their industries forward. The group collectively generated approximately $12.3 billion in 2025 revenue and $12.2 billion in funding to date, according to Inc. Five Houstonians were named to the list last year.

"Each year, we are increasingly amazed by the extraordinary leaders on our Inc. Female Founders 500 list," Bonny Ghosh, editorial director, said. "The honorees on this year's list include innovators in AI, beauty and wellness trendsetters winning devoted fans, and nonprofit leaders making a real impact in their communities. Together, they're showing all of us what trailblazing female leadership looks like."

The Houston founders featured on the 2026 list are:

Sassie Duggleby, CEO and co-founder of Houston space tech and engine company Venus Aerospace. Duggleby also serves on the Texas Space Commission board of directors.
Stephanie Murphy, CEO and executive chairman of Aegis Aerospace, which provides space services, spaceflight product development, and engineering services. Murphy also serves as chair of the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium Executive Committee.
Laureen Meroueh, CEO and founder of Hertha Metals in Conroe, which has developed a cost-effective and energy-efficient process that converts low-grade iron ore of any format directly into molten steel or high-purity iron in a single step.
LaToshia Norwood, managing partner of L'Renee & Associates (LRA), a full-service project management consulting firm.
Lauren Rottet, president and founding principal of Rottet Studio, an international architecture and design firm focused on corporate, lifestyle and hospitality projects
Nina Magon, founder and CEO of Nina Magon Studio / Nina Magon Consumer Products, a residential and commercial interior design company. She also co-founded KA Residences earlier this year.

"Grateful to be recognized again on the Inc. Female Founders 500," Duggleby said in a LinkedIn post. "The best part of building Venus Aerospace has been working with an incredible team pushing the boundaries of flight—and helping bring more women into aerospace along the way."

In total, 29 Texas female founders made this list, including Amber Venz Box, founder of the Dallas-based LTK shopping platform, and Austin jewelry mogul Kendra Scott.

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This story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.

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