Head of the class

2 Dallas universities earn top-10 honors in new list of Texas' best colleges for 2024

University of Dallas ranked No. 7 in Texas.

Photo courtesy of University of Dallas

College students looking for an exemplary education in Texas can still apply to Dallas' consistently top-ranking universities before their early decision deadline November 1.

Perfect timing, asSouthern Methodist University has earned the No. 6 spot in WalletHub's 2024 ranking of the best colleges and universities in Texas.

The personal finance experts analyzed more than 800 colleges and universities in the United States using 30 metrics to determine their rankings.

Factors that helped determine SMU's placement include its admittance rate (52 percent), graduation rate (75 percent as of 2015), an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, its gender and racial diversity, net cost, and more.

SMU's placement on the WalletHub list follows a recent No. 4 ranking on U.S. News' list of best colleges in Texas and No. 5 on Niche's list of Texas' best.

According to U.S. News and World Report, SMU's tuition and fees cost $64,460.

Gerardo L. Blanco, an associate professor at Boston College, provided some advice for prospective students aiming to graduate college with minimal debt and significant job prospects in their chosen degree field. He advised that students learn the difference between a university's "sticker price" versus the net price after financial aid. It could be particularly useful for students planning for a post-secondary education at private institutions like SMU.

"There are public universities, both flagship and regional, that offer great value for money," Blanco said. "Many private non-profit institutions are committed to promoting access and, even with higher sticker prices, offer generous financial aid."

Right behind SMU in the WalletHub survey is The University of Dallas, earning No. 7 in Texas. The private Catholic university has a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, a 59 percent acceptance rate, and a 67 percent graduation rate for four-year students, according to U.S. News. Tuition costs add up to $50,880.

In WalletHub's regional ranking of best universities in the South, SMU earned No. 35, and University of Dallas ranked No. 38.

Out of the top 500 universities in the nation, SMU ranked No. 170 and University of Dallas ranked No. 184. Yale University took the No. 1 spot in the country, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 2), Princeton University in New Jersey (No. 3), and California Institute of Technology (No. 4). Harvard University in Massachusetts rounded out the top five.

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University ranked No. 10 in the state and No. 222 nationwide.

The top 10 colleges and universities in Texas 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 – Southwestern University
No. 6 – Southern Methodist University
No. 7 – University of Dallas
No. 8 – Austin College
No. 9 – LeTourneau University
No. 10 – Texas Christian University

The full report can be found on wallethub.com.

colleges rankings universities WalletHub reports texas Southern Methodist University university of dallas SMU

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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