The University of Texas holds its position as Texas' top public university ,seventh in the U.S
The University of Texas at Austin maintains its position as Texas’s top public university, achieving seventh place among public institutions in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, and remains the 30th best university overall. The institution continues to excel academically through 24 of its 37 evaluated undergraduate programs, which have achieved top-10 national rankings while reaching historic highs in graduation and retention rates.
Academic Excellence Drives Record Performance
The 2024-2025 academic year marked unprecedented success for UT Austin, with notable achievements including a 75.7% four-year graduation rate and a 97.1% first-year retention rate. The university awarded 15,963 degrees during this period, marking the highest total in its entire history.
The McCombs School of Business achieved six top-five national rankings through its Accounting, Finance, and Marketing programs, and the Cockrell School of Engineering secured top rankings in Petroleum and Chemical and Civil Engineering.
The three programs —Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science Theory, and Biomedical Engineering —reached the top 10 positions again this year. UT President Jim Davis stated that the University of Texas remains dedicated to providing Texans with the highest possible academic standards.
The university’s academic excellence has led to unprecedented student achievement and enrollment growth, as confirmed by the current rankings.
Texas Leadership Across Multiple Disciplines
The university demonstrates broad academic excellence through its 32 programs, which hold first-place rankings in Texas across different subject areas. The April U.S. News data show that UT Austin holds 76 top 10 positions in combined undergraduate and graduate programs among all public and private institutions nationwide. The university stands as the top institution for veterans in Texas while ranking seventh among public universities for veteran services according to traditional rankings. The institution received two significant recognitions, becoming the ninth most innovative public university in the nation and achieving fourth place in study abroad programs.
National Context
The 2026 U.S. News rankings show that top institutions have maintained their positions, with Princeton University holding the first spot, followed by MIT and Harvard University in second and third place, respectively. The University of California, Berkeley, leads public universities as the number one institution, followed by UCLA in second place and UT Austin in seventh place among public universities.
The U.S. News evaluation system bases its rankings on institutions that offer excellent classroom resources, maintain high graduation and retention figures, and produce graduates who enter the workforce with affordable debt and strong starting salaries. The evaluation process for national universities assesses up to 17 essential academic quality indicators.
Texas Higher Education Landscape
UT Austin maintains its position as the second-best university in Texas, after Rice University, which achieves a national ranking of 17th. Texas A&M University holds the third position among Texas institutions, while Baylor University and Southern Methodist University represent other prominent regional universities. The university faces direct competition with UCLA and the University of Michigan for student and faculty recruitment because of its position in the public research university rankings.
Future Implications and Sustained Excellence
The university’s consistently high rankings create favorable conditions to attract elite students and faculty members, as well as secure substantial research funding. The educational rankings on U.S. News attract more than 100 million annual visitors who use them to make enrollment choices and evaluate institutional prestige. The university’s ability to achieve new performance milestones while preserving its ranking demonstrates enduring academic excellence across different fields of study. The combination of UT Austin’s strong programs in business, engineering, and computer science creates a solid base for maintaining its position as a leading public university in the United States.