grad school rankings

12 DFW universities boast best graduate programs of 2026, says U.S. News

SMU garners recognition, along with 11 other DFW institutions.

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A dozen Dallas-Fort Worth universities are earning new national acclaim in a just-released report of the best graduate schools in the U.S. for 2026.

U.S. News & World Report annually publishes its national "Best Graduate Schools" rankings in early April, which comprehensively rank graduate programs across business, education, engineering, law, health, and many others.

New for the 2026 edition, the publication updated its rankings across 12 health disciplines — only physician assistant and social work were excluded — and "the first full refresh" of doctoral science programs since 2022. U.S. News also revived its Master's in Fine Arts rankings for the first time since 2020.

"We know a graduate degree is a major commitment,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “That is why we are dedicated to methodologies that thoroughly examine a wide range of factors, from research excellence to career success. These rankings are a powerful tool for prospective students, offering clarity and confidence as they approach their most critical educational choice."

This is how the 12 local schools ranked, statewide and nationally, and how they compared with last year's national ranking:

The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson

Jindal School of Management – No. 2 best graduate business school in Texas; No. 23 nationally (up from No. 31 last year)
Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science – No. 6 best graduate engineering school in Texas; No. 89 nationally (down from No. 85 last year)

UT Dallas' audiology program tied for No. 2 nationally this year, its speech-language pathology program tied for 13th best, and its health care management program tied for No. 68. In the doctoral science rankings, UT Dallas' statistics program tied for No. 66 nationally, the earth sciences program tied for No. 89, the mathematics program tied for No. 106, the physics program tied for No. 113, and the chemistry program tied for No. 118 nationally. The university also boasts the 55th best public affairs program,

Southern Methodist University

Cox School of Business – No. 4 best graduate business school in Texas; No. 26 nationally (down from No. 34 last year)
Dedman School of Law – No. 4 best law school in Texas; No. 42 nationally (up from No. 43 last year)
Lyle School of Engineering – No. 11 best graduate engineering school in Texas; No. 153 nationally (up from No. 160 last year)
Simmons School of Education and Human Development – No. 3 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 47 nationally (up from No. 49 last year)

SMU's clinical psychology program tied for No. 109 nationally this year. In the doctoral science rankings, the university's statistics program tied for No. 66 nationally, the earth sciences program tied for No. 89, the mathematics program tied for No. 114, the physics program tied for No. 130, and the chemistry program tied for No. 135. SMU's graduate fine arts program tied for No. 133 nationally.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Tier 1 – Best research medical schools in U.S.

UT Southwestern's physical therapy program tied for No. 57 nationally, and the clinical psychology program tied for No. 141. In the doctoral science rankings, the university's biological sciences program tied for No. 16 nationally, and the chemistry program ranked No. 67.

University of North Texas in Dallas

College of Law – No. 9 best law school in Texas; No. 159 nationally (up from No. 163 last year)

UNT Dallas' public affairs program tied for No. 157 best in the U.S.

University of North Texas in Denton

College of Education – No. 9 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 126 nationally (down from No. 114 last year)
College of Engineering – No. 10 best graduate engineering school in Texas; tied for No. 134 nationally (down from No. 136 last year)

UNT's rehabilitation counseling program ranked as the 15th best in the U.S. this year, the audiology program tied for No. 56, the pharmacy program ranked as No. 92, and the university's speech-language pathology program tied for No. 104 nationally. In the doctoral science rankings, UNT's mathematics program tied for No. 139 nationally, the chemistry program tied for No. 150, and the physics program tied for No. 165. The university's public affairs program is the 72nd best in the nation, and its graduate fine arts program ranked No. 75 nationwide.

Texas Christian University in Fort Worth

Neeley School of Business – No. 6 best graduate business school in Texas; No. 60 nationally (down from No. 43 last year)
College of Education – No. 6 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 104 nationally (up from No. 114 last year)

TCU's nurse anesthesia program tied for No. 9 best in the U.S. this year, its speech-language pathology program tied for No. 67, and its occupational therapy program tied for No. 150. In the doctoral science rankings, TCU's chemistry program tied for No. 171 nationally. The university's graduate fine arts program tied for No. 169 nationally.

University of Texas at Arlington

College of Education – No. 13 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 171 nationally (up from No. 173 last year)
College of Engineering – No. 4 best graduate engineering school in Texas; No. 71 nationally (up from No. 81 last year)
Department of Graduate Nursing – No. 3 best master's nursing program in Texas; No. 50 nationally (up from No. 56 last year)

UT Arlington's health care management program tied for No. 81 nationally. In the doctoral science rankings, the physics program tied for No. 113 nationally, the earth sciences program tied for No. 132, the mathematics program tied for No. 139, and the chemistry program tied for No. 150 nationally. UT Arlington's public affairs program tied for No. 120 nationally.

Dallas Baptist University

Bush College of Education – No. 16 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 216 nationally (down from No. 215 last year)

Abilene Christian University in Addison

No. 18 best graduate education school in Texas; No. 227 nationally (up from No. 228 last year)

University of North Texas Health in Fort Worth (formerly The University of North Texas Health Science Center)
The clinical psychology program at UNT Health Fort Worth tied for No. 100 nationally in 2026, and its health care management program tied for No. 68. The public health program ranked 102nd best nationally, and the physical therapy program tied for No. 161.

Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth
The nurse anesthesia program at Texas Wesleyan University tied for 78th best nationally.

Texas Woman's University in Denton
TWU tied for the 15th best occupational therapy program in the nation, its physical therapy program ranked 25th best in the U.S., and its health care management program tied as the 81st best nationwide. The university's speech-language pathology program tied for No. 165 nationally. TWU's graduate fine arts program tied for No. 143 nationally.

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Innovation Station

Texas maintains its place among 15 most innovative states in the U.S.

Austin Texas State Capitol and Skyline Aerial Drone Image

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During a SXSW reception March 12 at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott hailed Texas as the No. 1 state for innovation. Personal finance website WalletHub sees it a little differently though.

In a new study from WalletHub, the Most & Least Innovative States (2026), Texas is assigned the No. 13 ranking for innovation among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

D.C. comes out on top, followed by Massachusetts, California, Colorado, and Washington. Mississippi appears at the bottom of the list.

Texas earns a total innovation score of 49.56, compared with 69.13 for top-ranked D.C. In two broad categories, Texas ranks 12th for human capital and 13th for innovation environment.

To identify the top places for innovation, WalletHub evaluated the 50 states and D.C. by reviewing 25 key indicators of innovation friendliness. The indicators include:

Share of STEM professionals
Forecast for Share of STEM professionals
Forecast for STEM jobs
Eighth-grade math and science performance
Concentration of tech companies
R&D spending per capita
Share of science and engineering graduates age 25 and over
Average internet speed
Venture capital funding per capita

“The most innovative states are especially attractive to people who have majored in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, as they offer abundant career opportunities and investment dollars, both for jobs at existing companies and for startups,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report.

“These states also instill young students with the skills they need to succeed in the current workforce, skills which are useful whether or not they pursue a STEM career,” he added.

Texas held steady in the 2026 report, receiving the same ranking as in 2025 (at No. 13), but improving its overall score slightly, up from 48.96. In 2024, Texas was ranked No. 14 in the U.S., marking its first appearance within the top 15 most innovative states. In recent years, Texas has consistently moved up the ladder among most innovative states.

Texas zeroes in on semiconductor industry
On the innovation front, Abbott and other state leaders have focused intently on growing the state’s semiconductor industry, which generates roughly $30 to $60 billion in economic activity per year. Texas ranks among the top states for semiconductor manufacturing, with major operations in North Texas and Central Texas.

To bolster the industry, Abbott signed the Texas CHIPS Act into law in 2023. The law established the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, which issues grants for semiconductor research, design and manufacturing, and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium, which advises the governor and state legislators on matters related to the semiconductor sector.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.

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