Pony Up

SMU makes LinkedIn list of 50 best U.S. colleges for career success

SMU Cox School of Business, SMU graduate, graduation, Southern Methodist University

SMU sets its graduates up for long-term success.

Facebook/SMU Cox School of Business

Southern Methodist University offers a lot of return on investment for its pricey tuition, a new survey says: The Dallas university lands at No. 37 on LinkedIn’s first-ever ranking of the 50 best U.S. colleges for long-term career success.

Just two other Texas schools have made the list: Houston’s Rice University appears at No. 31, and The University of Texas at Austin shows up at No. 46.

LinkedIn, a career networking site, says the ranking is based on exclusive data about alumni, such as job placement rates, advancement into senior-level jobs, post-graduate formation of startups, and pre-graduation internships.

“A four-year bachelor’s degree is a significant investment of time and money, especially as tuition costs rise and the job market shifts,” the LinkedIn report says. “For millions of Americans, the return on investment is worth it. Those who earn the degree can see an enduring impact on their earning potential and overall career trajectory.”

Where someone earns a degree can have an even bigger impact, according to LinkedIn, as graduates of top programs often land jobs more rapidly, build strong professional networks, and rise to leadership roles more quickly.

“Long-term success isn’t just about landing a great first job; it’s about sustained career growth and opportunity years after graduation,” Andrew Seaman, senior editor-at-large for jobs and career development at LinkedIn News, told Fortune. “For this list, that means looking at how well a school sets alumni up for the long haul.”

Topping the LinkedIn list are No. 1 Princeton University; No. 2 Duke University; No. 3 University of Pennsylvania; No. 4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and No. 5 Cornell University.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the data about the three Texas schools on the LinkedIn list:

Southern Methodist University

Tuition: $61,880
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,285
Top industries of graduates: Financial services, business consulting
Top post-graduation destinations: Dallas, New York City, Los Angeles
Most notable skills: AMPL programming language, Avid iNews content creation system, data science

Rice University

Tuition: $66,540
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,800
Top industries of graduates: Technology, business consulting, higher education
Top post-graduation destinations: Houston, San Francisco Bay Area, New York City
Notable skills: MATLAB programming language, engineering design, data science

The University of Texas at Austin

Tuition: $10,858 (in-state); $42,554 (out-of-state)
Undergraduate enrollment: 42,445
Top industries of graduates: Technology, medical practices, advertising
Top post-graduation destinations: Austin, Dallas, Houston
Most notable skills: SOLIDWORKS computer-aided design software, architecture, Avid Media Composer video editing software

The LinkedIn ratings come on the heels of several other prestigious college rankings in which SMU has scored well: Forbes list of America's top colleges; The Princeton Review's list of best U.S. colleges for 2026; and WalletHub's 2025 rankings of the best colleges in Texas.

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This story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.

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equality news

Texas ranks as 3rd worst state for women's equality in 2026, per report

Photo by DEAD GOOD LEGACIES on Unsplash

We expect better of Texas.

Texans have many reasons to brag on their state, but one study that annually ranks Texas near the bottom of the pack could use some forward momentum: WalletHub's annual report, "Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality," ranks the state as the third worst for women's equality in 2026.

Texas ranks No. 48 for the second year in a row, which is only one place better than its No. 49 place in 2024. A decade before that, in both 2014 and 2015, Texas ranked No. 47.

WalletHub's 2026 report determined where women receive the most equal treatment in the U.S. by comparing all 50 states using 17 key indicators for women's workplace environment, education and health, and political empowerment. For all metrics, analysts compared the differences between women and men, and certain states were treated as having gender equality in the metrics where women showed an advantage over men.

Only Utah (No. 50) and Oklahoma (No. 49) rank lower than the Lone Star State in 2026.

Hawaii still leads as the No. 1 best state for women's rights nationwide, followed by Maryland (No. 2), Alaska (No. 3), Maine (No. 4), and Vermont (No. 5).

Texas ranked 37th in the report's "workplace environment" category, which compared gender disparities in income, unemployment rates, entrepreneurship rates, job security, economic security, and the share of men versus women in executive positions, among others.

In the "political empowerment" category — which compared the disparity in the share of lawmakers in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, state legislature, and state-elected executives — Texas ranked 39th nationally.

House Republican Leadership Speaks To The Media After Conference Meeting Kay Granger, first Republican woman from Texas to serve in the House, died on August 2, 2026. Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Overall, Texas' worst performance was in the national "education and health" ranking, which examined gender disparities in math test scores, doctor-visit affordability, and advanced educational attainment — meaning the share of the population aged 25 and older with an advanced degree higher than a bachelor's. In this category, Texas ranked 49th.

Here's how the Lone Star State fared in other rankings in the study:

No. 19 – Entrepreneurship rate gap
No. 31 – Work hours gap
No. 34 – Earnings gap
No. 36 – Executive positions gap
No. 39 – Political representation ga

Texas hasn't been ranking particularly well in other recent WalletHub studies that measure various aspects of livability. In 2026, Texas has ranked as the fourth-worst state for women, the ninth-worst state for working mothers, and the seventh-worst state to have a baby. It was also named one of the worst states to live in general.

"Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in a statement. "States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics. The best states for women’s equality have drastically reduced the disparities between men and women on multiple fronts."

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