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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Landing Soon

New air taxi network to land at major Dallas-Fort Worth airports in 2027

Courtesy photo

Archer will launch air taxi networks across Texas in 2027.

California-based aerospace company Archer Aviation is bringing its air-taxi system to the “Texas triangle” of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin in 2027.

The zero-emission electric air taxi networks will use Archer’s Midnight air taxi to “turn 60- to 90-minute drives to major airports, business districts and major destinations into 10- to 20-minute flights,” the company said in a news release. Archer plans to begin flights in the Texas triangle next year.

The Midnight air taxi is an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It can carry four passengers and a pilot and is designed for consecutive flights of about 20 miles.

Archer cites the Texas triangle as one of the busiest and fastest-growing “megaregions” in the country, due to its proximity to coastal regions, major airports, and a number of business districts.

“Texas is setting the bar for America’s leadership in the next generation of aviation,” Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer Aviation, said in the release. “Our planned networks will make the benefits of electric air taxis real for Texans — trading hours in traffic for minutes in the air, while connecting the biggest airports, business districts and sporting hubs in ways that America’s largest megaregion needs to grow.”

Archer Chief Commercial Officer Nikhil Goel described the air taxi experience to CW Houston as “100 times quieter than a helicopter for the price of an Uber Black.” He added that the air taxis are a combination of a helicopter, a small airplane, and a drone.

The Dallas-Fort Worth network is slated to include Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field, Addison Airport, Arlington Municipal Airport, Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, and Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, plus major business hubs like Frisco Station.

In Houston, Archer’s air taxi network will aim to connect George Bush Intercontinental, William P. Hobby, and Sugar Land Regional Airport with downtown destinations and Galveston.

In Austin, it plans to link Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Austin Executive Airport with the F1 Circuit Helipad at the Circuit of the Americas. Archer debuted its Midnight aircraft at the F1 Prix in the Fan Zone and the F1 Paddock at COTA.

Archer is working with state and local partners to develop charging infrastructure and plans to pursue Texas operations through the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. It recently completed its "No Roads" flight tour, which included multiple flights over the San Francisco Bay, and flew to seven cities over three days.

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

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