College Rivalry

One Texas school earns major bragging rights in new world rankings

University of Texas at Austin tower aerial

The University of Texas at Austin was named one of the best schools in the world.

The University of Texas at Austin has been named the No. 1 school in the state and No. 32 in the world by U.S. News and World Report.

While beating out other Texas schools gives UT bragging rights, the international ranking is even more impressive. Out of 1,250 institutions in 74 countries, the university was ranked No. 32 in the world, beating out schools like University of Copenhagen (No. 37); Kings College London (No. 41); University of Tokyo (No. 57); and, yes, University of Maryland, College Park (No. 50).

Though the magazine has released university rankings for the past four years, this is the first time the magazine has included areas of study in its report. Eleven UT subjects made the grade with computer science (No. 2); chemistry (No. 10); and mathematics (No. 13) taking top billing.

According to U.S. News, the rankings were determined by a pre-determined set of criteria such as global and regional research reputations and number of publications produced. Researchers also sent out surveys to academics around the world in order to "create a comprehensive snapshot of [their] opinions about world universities."

So just where did other Texas universities land? Rice University was closest at No. 81; Texas A&M ranked No. 118. UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas ranked No. 121; and Baylor College of Medicine came in right behind at No. 126.

Falling way down the list were University of Texas at Dallas (No. 234), University of Texas at Arlington (No. 462), Southern Methodist University (No. 466), and the University of North Texas (No. 627). Texas Tech University was ranked No. 487. Texas State University at San Marcos landed at No. 1,233.

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State of innovation

Texas ranks among 5 best states to start a business in 2025

Photo by Mykyta Kravčenko on Unsplash

Texas' friendly business climate has allowed the state to regain its rightful position among the top five best states to start a new business.

As one of the largest states in the U.S., it's no surprise Texas is big on business and entrepreneurship. Now the state is earning new praise among WalletHub's 2025 list of "Best & Worst States to Start a Business."

The Lone Star State claimed the No. 4 spot in the report's rankings — putting Texas in a better shape than it was last year when it earned No. 8 in WalletHub's 2024 report.

The study compared all 50 states across 25 metrics to determine the best places to start, grow, and find success with a new business. Factors that were considered include the number of startups per capita, job growth rates, financing accessibility measures, labor costs, and corporate tax rates.

The three states to outperform Texas are Florida (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), and Utah (No. 3). Idaho rounded out the top five.

Across the study's three main categories, Texas performed the best in the "business environment" rank, earning No. 1 nationally. This section compared the states based on its five-year business survival rates, average business revenues growth, and more.

Texas ranked No. 12 in the nationwide comparison of "access to resources" – which covers working age population growth, venture investment amounts per capita, and other means – and earned a fair No. 34 in the report's "business costs" ranking.

But Texas can still do better with its business friendliness to reclaim a top-three overall ranking, which the state last earned in 2023.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report that it is imperative for potential new business owners to establish their enterprise in a place that can maximize their ability to succeed.

"Around half of all new businesses don’t survive five years, so the idea of becoming a business owner can be daunting, especially with the current high cost of living," Lupo said. "The best states have low corporate tax rates, strong economies, an abundance of reliable workers, easy access to financing and affordable real estate. On top of that, you’ll need to make sure you start in a place with an engaged customer base, if you’re operating locally."

Dallas has also proven to be at the top of the destination list for entrepreneurs who are looking for their next venture.

The top 10 best states to start a new business in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Georgia
No. 3 – Utah
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – Idaho
No. 6 – Oklahoma
No. 7 – Nevada
No. 8 – Colorado
No. 9 – Arizona
No. 10 – Kentucky

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