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2 Dallas universities earn top spots in U.S. News' rankings for 2025

SMU is the No. 5 best university in Texas for 2025, according to U.S. News.

SMU/Facebook

Two prestigious Dallas universities – Southern Methodist University and The University of Texas at Dallas – have come out on top among the best universities in Texas for 2025, according to U.S. News and World Report's just-released list of the Best Colleges for 2025.

Southern Methodist University claimed No. 5 in Texas, and ranked No. 91 nationally in a two-spot slip from last year's ranking. The private institution has a 90 percent first-year retention rate, and an "actual" graduation rate of 83 percent. SMU costs $60,709 in tuition and fees for students each year, and according to the school's profile, it has an acceptance rate of 61 percent.

In April, SMU's graduate business school ranked No. 3 in U.S. News' ranking of the best graduate schools in Texas, with the graduate education school and the Dedman School of Law also earning No. 3 rankings in their respective categories.

SMU very recently topped the charts as the No. 1 Christian college in America in Niche's new rankings for 2025.

In a glowing review of the university, one former student said SMU is an "academically solid" school for eager learners.

"I had a very meaningfully academic experience," the reviewer wrote. "Yes, there is fun and games, but one obtains a very solid education and can stand shoulder to shoulder in one's field with graduates from any school."

SMU's cross-Metroplex rival, Texas Christian University, ranked No. 6 in Texas and No. 105 nationally for 2025.

University of Texas at Dallas students have new reason to be proud of their school. Facebook/UT Dallas

Just behind TCU, Richardson's University of Texas at Dallas placed No. 7 in the Texas rankings, and moved up six spots to claim No. 109 nationally. The public university costs $14,644 in tuition and fees for in-state students, and has an acceptance rate of 65 percent. UTD has a first-year retention rate of 88 percent, and a 75 percent "actual" graduation rate.

U.S. News' top 10 best colleges in Texas in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Rice University, Houston
No. 2 – University of Texas at Austin
No. 3 – Texas A&M University, College Station
No. 4 – Baylor University, Waco
No. 5 – Southern Methodist University, Dallas
No. 6 – Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
No. 7 – The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
No. 8 – University of Houston
No. 9 – University of St. Thomas, Houston
No. 10 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock

The full rankings can be found on usnews.com.

best colleges dallas rankings southern methodist university universities us news & world report

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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