college report card

6 DFW universities make new Forbes list of America's top colleges

Southern Methodist University class of 2029

Southern Methodist University is the 103rd best college nationwide, and it ranked No. 5 in Texas.

SMU/Facebook

Six Dallas-Fort Worth universities, including Southern Methodist University, were just recognized on Forbes' new annual list of America's Top Colleges.

The ranking highlights 500 colleges and universities throughout the country that "produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt." Rankings are determined based on each school's "return on investment," the average student debt, and graduate outcomes.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the list this year, followed by Columbia University in New York (No. 2) and Princeton University in New Jersey (No. 3).

Southern Methodist University ranked just outside the top 100 as the the 103rd best college nationwide, and it ranked No. 5 in a Texas-wide comparison. The private Dallas university has a 61 percent acceptance rate and an undergraduate population of more than 7,500 students.

Forbes says the total cost to attend SMU adds up to $86,090 per year, and the university's average grant aid amounts to $36,850. Forbes also found that students graduate with about $14,284 in debt.

"Finance, economics, and accounting are some of the top majors at SMU," the university's profile says. "The university is eager to expand its research prowess, making plans to achieve the “Research One” (R1) status issued by the Carnegie Classification system."

Forbes also touts the university's famous alumni, which include former First Lady Laura Bush, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates.

SMU also ranked as Forbes' 21st best university in the South, the 61st best private college, and the 75th best research university.

Here's where DFW's five other top universities landed on Forbes' list of the 500 best American colleges:

No. 120 – Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
No. 141 – University of Texas at Dallas
No. 238 – University of North Texas, Denton
No. 246 – University of Texas at Arlington
No. 422 – University of Dallas

The Forbes rankings come on the heels of Princeton Review's much-heralded "The Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition," which included Southern Methodist University, University of Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, and Fort Worth's Texas Christian University.

Only four Texas universities made it among Forbes' top 100 best American colleges: Rice University in Houston (No. 12), the University of Texas at Austin (No. 46), Texas A&M University in College Station (No. 61), and Trinity University in San Antonio (No. 82).

The report's author wrote that it would be an understatement to say that 2025 has been a "rough year for American colleges."

"Over the past eight months, President Donald Trump, his administration, and Congressional Republicans have waged financial and cultural war on higher education — freezing research funds, punishing efforts at campus diversity, constricting the flow of foreign students, raising the tax on some college endowments and curbing the generosity of student loan programs," the report says. "Despite this, American colleges are still delivering gold-standard undergraduate education."

The 13 remaining Texas universities that ranked outside the top 100 include:

No. 107 – University of Houston
No. 161 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock
No. 188 – Baylor University, Waco
No. 293 – St. Edward's University, Austin
No. 300 – University of Texas at San Antonio
No. 304 – Southwestern University, Georgetown
No. 342 – University of Houston, Clear Lake
No. 354 – University of St. Thomas, Houston
No. 359 – University of Texas, El Paso
No. 408 – Texas State University, San Marcos
No. 419 – Austin College, Sherman
No. 437 – Abilene Christian University
No. 449 – University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley

universities rankings forbes america's top colleges innovation dallas fort worth southern methodist university texas christian university

Pestilence News

New invasive pest in Texas is destroying grasses and pasture

TAMU

Mealyworm is small but damaging.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has issued an urgent alert to farmers to inspect their pastures for a newly detected and highly damaging pest: the pasture mealybug (Helicococcus summervillei).

According to a release from the Department of Agriculture (TDA), this invasive species, never before reported in North America, has been confirmed in multiple Texas counties and is already causing significant damage to pasture acreage across the southeast portion of the state.

The pasture mealybug causes “pasture dieback,” leaving expanding patches of yellowing, weakened, and ultimately dead turf.

This pest was first detected in Australia in 1928; its first detection in the Western Hemisphere occurred in the Caribbean between 2019 and 2020.

The TDA is working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to coordinate a rapid response and protect Texas producers.

Mealybug history
Although the mealybug is just now being spotted, researchers suspect it may have been introduced before 2022.

Since mid-April 2025, southern Texas pasture and hay producers have been reporting problems in their fields. These fields show grass patches becoming brown or necrotic, or patches that are completely dead. Originally, it was presumed that symptoms were caused by another mealybug called the Rhodes grass mealybug, which has been reported in the U.S. since 1942. However, further investigations confirm that it's this new pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei).

It has devastated millions of acres of grazing land in Australia and has since spread globally. Its rapid reproduction, hidden soil-level feeding, and broad host range make it a significant threat to pasture health and livestock operations.

MealybugTAMU

Adult females are approximately 2-5 mm long, covered in a white, waxy coating. They are capable of producing nearly 100 offspring within 24 hours, resulting in several generations per season. While adult females can live for up to 100 days, most damage is inflicted by the youngest nymphs, which feed on plant sap and inject toxic saliva that causes grass to yellow, weaken, and die.

“This is a completely new pest to our continent, and Texas is once again on the front lines,” Commissioner Miller says. “If the pasture mealybug spreads across Texas grazing lands like it has in eastern Australia, it could cost Texas agriculture dearly in lost productivity and reduced livestock capacity. TDA is working hand-in-hand with federal and university partners to respond swiftly and protect our producers from this unprecedented threat.”

Houston has a problem
The estimated impact area currently covers 20 counties, primarily in the Houston area, including: Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Refugio, Calhoun, Victoria, Goliad, Dewitt, Lavaca, Fayette, Jackson, Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, Wharton, Colorado, Austin, Washington, Burleson, Brazos, and Robertson. AgriLife entomologists have submitted a formal Pest Incident Worksheet documenting significant damage to pastures and hayfields in Victoria County.

Research trials are underway to determine the best integrated pest management options. Currently, there is no known effective labeled insecticide for pasture mealybug.

Affected plants include: Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, hay grazer (sorghum–sudangrass), St. Augustine grass, various bluestem species, and other tropical or subtropical grasses. Damage can occur in leaves, stems, and roots.

Symptoms:

Yellowing and discoloration of leaves within a week of infestation
Purpling or reddening of foliage
Stunted growth and drought stress despite rainfall
Poorly developed root systems
Dieback starting at leaf tips and progressing downward
Premature aging, making plants more vulnerable to pathogens

How to spot it

Scout regularly for mealybugs on grass leaves, stems, soil surface, leaf litter, and under cow patties
Focus on unmanaged areas such as fence lines, ungrazed patches, and roadsides
Look for fluffy, white, waxy, or “fuzzy” insects on blades and stems
If plants appear unhealthy and insects match this description, investigate further

“Early identification is critical, and we need every producer’s eyes on the ground,” Commissioner Miller added. “We are working diligently with our federal and state partners to determine how to best combat this novel threat and stop it in its tracks.”

If you observe suspicious symptoms or insects matching the descriptions above, contact TDA at 1-800-TELL-TDA immediately.

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