holiday school spirit

3 surprising Texas schools shine among the cheeriest U.S. colleges at Christmas

Texas universities love their Texas-sized celebrations.

Students being away for winter break doesn't stop colleges from decorating and celebrating the holidays in their own ways. Three Texas colleges in particular – Baylor University, Texas Tech University, and St. Mary's University – have some of the most dazzling Christmas traditions in the U.S., says a new report.

Education advisors Academic Influence placed the Texas universities near the top of the nice list in its 2023 report of the "Colleges with the Most Cheerful Christmas Traditions."

Waco's Baylor University earned the glory of being named the No. 3 most cheerful college, thanks to its stunning annual holiday festivities. Starting with the School of Music's Christmas performances throughout campus, the cheery concerts uplift the spirits of all students and faculty for a much needed mood-booster to prepare for the hectic finals week. But there's one other magical event that solidifies how seriously Baylor takes its Christmas cheer.

"The highlight of the Christmas season kicks off each year with a Texas-sized celebration dubbed 'Christmas on 5th Street,' an event that transforms the Baylor campus into a winter wonderland," the report's author wrote. "Students and locals alike enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, food trucks, a Christmas market, a live nativity, a historic village to stroll through, and of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus."

Waco families delight in the Christmas on 5th Street's kid-friendly activities, including bounce houses, train rides, and festive performances.

Texas Tech University's Red Raiders also look good in green, as the Lubbock-based university came in at No. 7 in the report. The 65th annual Carol of Lights is one of the most popular holiday events, which brings in more than 20,000 attendees from Lubbock and beyond, according to the report.

"The Carol of Lights features a 38-foot-tall Christmas tree, a 20-foot wreath, 3,000 luminaries, and 25,000 lights," the report said.

The Carol of Lights event in 2022 kicked off Texas Tech's Centennial Celebration. Visitors won't want to miss out on this year's event, which will wrap up the centennial with "an even grander celebration" that features a drone show.

St. Mary's University in San Antonio rounded out the top 10 with its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and alumni Christmas social. Four inches of machine-made snow covers the grounds of the campus, transforming it into the perfect playground and backdrop for all families, alumni, and visitors to enjoy.

For some university Christmas cheer much closer to home, Dallasites can head over to Southern Methodist University to experience the glorious lights wrapped around trees on campus and Dallas Hall. The impressive display (which make an annual appearance on CultureMap's list of best Christmas lights around DFW) have been illuminating SMU for nearly 50 years and the lighting ceremony is one of the most beloved Christmas traditions in the city. In fact, it's surprising SMU didn't make Academic Influence list - bah humbug!

The best U.S. colleges with the most merry Christmas traditions, according to Academic Influence, are:

No. 1 – Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey
No. 2 – The University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana
No. 3 – Baylor University in Waco, Texas
No. 4 – Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania
No. 5 – Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah
No. 6 – High Point University in High Point, North Carolina
No. 7 – Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas
No. 8 – Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
No. 9 – St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota
No. 10 – St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas
No. 11 – University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio

The full report can be found on academicinfluence.com.

texas christmas holidays waco san antonio universities

closing the gaps

Texas no longer leads U.S. for racial progress, new report says

The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Dallas

The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center/Facebook

WalletHub's report is released annually ahead of MLK Day.

Texas has been overtaken as the No. 1 state that has made the most racial progress, according to a new study.

The Lone Star State led the nation in 2025, but now ranks in third place behind Georgia (No. 1) and Mississippi (No. 2). It also ranked No. 5 nationally in the list of states with the most racial integration.

WalletHub's "States That Have Made the Most Racial Progress" study is released annually ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The report compares all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 22 relevant metrics divided into two main rankings: racial integration (which the study defines as "the current integration levels of white people and Black people") and racial progress (defined as "the levels of racial progress achieved over time").

The report's author clarifies that the study focuses only on the racial integration between Black people and white people "in light of racial tensions in recent years that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement."

"We released this report ahead of the holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation and discrimination against Black people," the report says.

The study further divided each ranking into four main categories measuring the gaps between white people and Black people over time; spanning employment and wealth, education, social and civic engagement, and health. Texas performed the best in education and health, ranking No. 4 nationally in both categories, and it ranked in sixth place for its social and civic engagement. The state ranked 16th in the category for employment and wealth.

According to WalletHub, Texas has "done a lot" to reduce gaps in health outcomes for white and Black residents, such as reducing gaps in health insurance coverage, and reducing the share of Black Texans suffering from "poor health" and diabetes. It also notes that Texas "made the second-most progress when it comes to obesity," but it did not acknowledge the racial bias in body mass index (BMI) that has been increasingly flagged in recent years.

The report further praises Texas for reducing the gap in business ownership between white and Black Texans, and for its improvement in reducing discrimination in the parole system. WalletHub does not offer data behind the parole claim.

"It’s encouraging to look at the data and see that some states have made significant strides toward racial equality over the past few decades," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo regarding the overall report. "This change demonstrates that state-level policies and residents’ attitudes regarding equality have grown considerably better."

Though racial disparity gaps are closing between white and Black people, racial profiling and discrimination is still a major issue affecting Black people and other people of color across the country.

In 2023, a senate bill banned public Texas universities from having diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs, prompting warnings of discrimination against Black, Hispanic, and other marginalized students, including those with disabilities.

The top 10 states with the most racial progress in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Georgia
No. 2 – Mississippi
No. 3 – Texas
No. 4 – North Carolina
No. 5 – Maryland
No. 6 – Florida
No. 7 – New Jersey
No. 8 – Massachusetts
No. 9 – Louisiana
No. 10 – New Mexico

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