Head of the class

2 Dallas-area universities rank among Texas' 10 best for 2027

The University of Dallas is the 6th best university in Texas.

University of Dallas/Facebook

With early application season in full swing, two Dallas-area universities are racking up new accolades on a new list of the 10 best Texas colleges for 2027.

The University of Dallas and University of Texas at Dallas respectively ranked as the 6th and 10th best Texas universities in WalletHub's annual "College & University Rankings" report, proving DFW students don't have to travel out of state to earn a top-notch degree.

Across town in Fort Worth, Texas Christian University ranked 7th statewide.

WalletHub analyzed 738 colleges and universities in the U.S. using 30 relevant metrics, including factors like student-faculty ratios, graduation rates, and many more. Universities were ranked nationally, regionally, and across seven key dimensions: student selectivity; cost and financing; faculty resources; campus safety; campus experience; educational outcomes; and career outcomes.

Rice University in Houston claimed the top spot as Texas' No. 1 university for 2027. The Southern Ivy also ranked No. 11 nationwide.

In addition to its high statewide rating and its top rank among local schools, The University of Dallas ranked No. 34 in the regional comparison of best universities in the South, and appeared 174th nationally. Across the seven main categories, the university performed best for its campus safety (No. 158), faculty resources (No. 168), and student selectivity (No. 189).

UD ranked outside the top 200 in the national categories for campus experience (No. 229), education outcomes (No. 286), career outcomes (No. 325), and cost and financing (No. 461).

Meanwhile, UT Dallas ranked 56th regionally and 266th nationally. UTD's educational outcomes rank among the top 200 nationally, landing 177th, and it ranked just outside the top 200 for its student selectivity.

This is how the report ranked UTD in the five remaining categories out of all 738 schools:

No. 268 – Career outcomes
No. 299 – Cost and financing
No. 348 – Campus safety
No. 734 – Faculty resources
No. 518 – Campus experience

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, Southern Methdodist University ranked 288th nationally, Southwestern Adventist University in Keene ranked 454th, the University of North Texas came in 484th, and The University of Texas at Arlington ranked right behind as No. 486.

The DFW schools, including their graduate and online programs, have earned heaps of national and worldwide praise this year from prestigious educational reviewing authorities U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review.

These are WalletHub's top 10 best colleges and universities in Texas for 2027:

No. 1 – Rice University
No. 2 – Trinity University
No. 3 – The University of Texas at Austin
No. 4 – Texas A&M University-College Station
No. 5 – Southwestern University
No. 6 – University of Dallas
No. 7 – Austin College
No. 8 – Texas Christian University
No. 9 – LeTourneau University
No. 10 – The University of Texas at Dallas

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women innovators

Here's where Dallas clocks in among best U.S. cities for women in tech

Photo by adam roye on Unsplash

Dallas ranks 32nd on a new list of the best big U.S. cities for women in tech.

North Texas is in the middle of the pack for women in tech, a new report says.

Dallas ranks No. 32 nationwide, sandwiched between Fort Worth (No. 26) and Arlington (No. 38) in SmartAsset's new report, "Best and Worst Cities for Women in Tech — 2026 Study."

The study compared the 50 biggest U.S. cities across four metrics:

Gender pay gap — women's median earnings as a percentage of men’s median earnings in tech
The share of all tech workers that are women
The overall concentration of employment for tech workers, defined as "tech workers as a share of the local workforce"
Women tech workers’ median earnings, adjusted for regional price parity

For the purpose of the study, tech workers are defined as "city residents employed in computer and mathematical occupations."

The study's findings show that nearly 6,500 tech workers in Dallas are women, or 25.5 percent of the total tech workforce in the city. Tech workers in general make up only 3.6 percent of the total Dallas workforce.

Women tech workers in Dallas have a sizeable gap to cross to receive equal pay compared to their male counterparts in the same industry, the study says. Women tech workers make more than $83,000 in median earnings after adjusting for regional price parity, which is about 88 percent of what male tech workers make, SmartAsset found.

There are only two U.S. cities where women in tech earn more than what their male counterparts: Miami and Memphis, Tennessee. Women tech workers in Miami make an adjusted $88,650 in median earnings, or 101.7 percent of what men in tech make. In Memphis, women make $84,718 in adjusted earnings, or 101.5 percent of what men in tech earn.

This is the profile for women tech workers in Fort Worth and Arlington:

Fort Worth:

Women tech workers: 4,622
Women tech workers, share of tech workforce: 28.7 percent
Women tech workers’ estimated median earnings (adjusted): $87,174
Women tech workers’ earnings as a share of men’s: 89.2 percent
Tech workforce concentration: 3.2 percent

Arlington:

Women tech workers: 2,110
Women tech workers, share of tech workforce: 29.9 percent
Women tech workers’ estimated median earnings (adjusted): $76,319
Women tech workers’ earnings as a share of men’s: 83.5 percent
Tech workforce concentration: 3.2 percent

The study asserted that women remain underrepresented in the nation's overall tech sector, despite making up nearly half of the total workforce. Only 22.6 percent of the country's tech labor force is made up of women, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

"Opportunities for women in tech can vary considerably by location, and these differences shape access to jobs, career advancement and earning potential," the report's author wrote. "In some places, women account for a larger share of tech workers, face narrower pay gaps and enjoy a stronger local labor market. In others, they may encounter a more challenging career environment."

The four other Texas cities that earned spots in the report are Austin (No. 6), Houston (No. 15), San Antonio (No. 42), and El Paso (No. 49).

The top 10 best U.S. cities for women in tech are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Seattle, Washington
No. 3 – San Francisco, California
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – Baltimore, Maryland
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – Oakland, California
No. 8 – Portland, Oregon
No. 9 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 10 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

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