Two Dallas educational institutions have made the list of the top colleges in the U.S., according to a new ranking from WalletHub.

The University of Dallas and University of Texas at Dallas came in as the 8th and 9th best Texas universities for 2026, according to WalletHub's annual "College & University Rankings" report.

The personal finance website's experts analyzed nearly 800 colleges and universities in the U.S. using 30 key metrics, including factors like student-faculty ratios, graduation rates, campus safety, and many more.

Topping the statewide list was Rice University in Houston, which also ranked No. 9 in the national comparison.

Fort Worth's Texas Christian University led the pack in DFW, landing as the No. 5 best Texas university. TCU outranked its cross-town rival Southern Methodist University for the second year in a row. SMU tied with Florida Southern College as the 60th best university in the South, and it ranked No. 293 nationally.

The University of Dallas ranked 49th in WalletHub's regional rankings of the best universities in the South, and it was deemed the 245th best university in the nation for 2026. This private university, based in Irving, ranked highly for its student selectivity and faculty resources, but it lagged behind for its cost and financing.

U.S. News & World Report says tuition and fees at UD can add up to more than $56,000 per year for in-state students, with the total cost adding up to nearly $72,000 when factoring in the price for housing, food, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. That likely explains why the university didn't fare as well in that category.

Meanwhile, the Richardson-based University of Texas at Dallas was ranked as the 51st best university in the South, and the 259th best university in the U.S.

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, the University of North Texas ranked as No. 115 best Southern university and 475th best in the U.S. Three more DFW universities went unranked in WalletHub's national list, but appeared in the regional list of best universities in the South for 2026: The University of Texas at Arlington (No. 149), Dallas Baptist University (No. 118), and Texas Wesleyan University (No. 217).

The 10 best colleges and universities in Texas for 2026 are:

• No. 1 – Rice University, Houston
• No. 2 – The University of Texas at Austin
• No. 3 – Trinity University, San Antonio
• No. 4 – Texas A&M University-College Station
• No. 5 – Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
• No. 6 – Austin College, Sherman
• No. 7 – Southwestern University, Georgetown
• No. 8 – University of Dallas
• No. 9 – The University of Texas at Dallas
• No. 10 – University of Houston