Top Texas schools

Texas Christian University ranks as No. 6 school in Texas for 2024 by U.S. News

More bragging rights for TCU.

TCU Facebook

Texas Christian University has achieved a high ranking for its high-quality educational experiences this year. The home of the Horned Frogs earned a top-10 spot on U.S. News and World Report's just-released list of the Best Colleges in Texas for 2024.

TCU claimed the No. 6 spot in Texas, and ranked No. 98 nationally. The private institution had an undergraduate enrollment of more than 10,500 students in fall 2022. The school, which costs $57,220 in tuition and fees each year, ranks No. 92 for "Best Value Schools" by U.S. News.

In April, TCU's Neeley School of Business ranked No. 6 in U.S. News' ranking of the best graduate programs in Texas. TCU business graduates additionally make the ninth-highest earnings in the nation within the four years after their graduation.

TCU actually fared similarly in Niche'slist of top Texas schools, in which it ranked No. 6 statewide.

U.S. News' profile of TCU says the university finds pride in its rich campus culture that encourages students to participate in different organizations and activities. It's proximity to downtown Fort Worth is also a major draw.

"Volunteer activities are a particularly big draw for students, and the school’s Center for Community Involvement & Service-Learning coordinates excursions like service trips over spring break," the site says. "Students can check out live bull riding shows at Billy Bob’s, a restaurant that is billed as the world’s largest honky-tonk, or catch a rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum. Dallas is about 35 miles away."

TCU's cross-Metroplex rival, Southern Methodist University, ranked No. 4 in Texas and No. 89 nationally.

Just behind TCU is Richardson's University of Texas at Dallas, which placed No. 7 in the Texas rankings and No. 115 nationally. With a total undergraduate enrollment of over 21,600 students in fall 2022, the university values itself as a top-tier research institution.

"The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship utilizes world-class, academic education, industry-leading experiential training, venture mentorship and advisory support to support the launch of new businesses," the UT Dallas website says.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense recently announced it will work alongside UT Dallas to develop a $30 million energy storage systems campus in a new initiative to improve battery technology.

"The project will accelerate transition and scaling of next generation batteries, while reducing dependence on scarce critical materials," the release said.

UTD ranked No. 14 in the recent Niche list of best Texas colleges.

U.S. News' top 10 best colleges in Texas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Rice University, Houston
No. 2 – University of Texas at Austin
No. 3 – Texas A&M University, College Station
No. 4 – Southern Methodist University, Dallas
No. 5 – Baylor University, Waco
No. 6 – Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
No. 7 – The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
No. 8 – University of Houston
No. 9 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock
No. 10 – University of St. Thomas, Houston

The full rankings can be found on usnews.com.

US News & World Report reports universities rankings colleges dallas SMU Southern Methodist University ut dallas richardson fort worth texas christian university tcu

Death Penalty

Tarrant County man gets death for murder of convenience store owner

Tarrant County Sheriff's Office

Christopher Turner

A man received the death penalty for his 2020 cold-blooded execution of a convenience store owner.

According to a release from the office of Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a Tarrant County jury sentenced Christopher Karon Turner, 48, to death on November 20 for executing convenience store owner Anwar Ali during a robbery. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Charles Boulware and Allenna Bangs represented the state.

On March 27, 2020, at around 6:15 am, Turner, a convicted felon, wore a surgical mask and a glove and entered the Super Big Country Mart in an unincorporated area of Tarrant County south of Fort Worth. There, he held a gun to the back of Anwar Ali, the 62-year-old store owner, and walked him through the store.

Ali did everything Turner demanded, including opening the cash register to give him money. And yet Turner forced Ali into the bathroom and onto his knees, and shot him in the neck. Ali was discovered, dead in the bathroom, about an hour later.

Turner fled the store in Ali's Toyota minivan with the money from the register and Ali's wallet. In the van, he found more than $50,000 cash in a black bag. Over the next few days, Turner went on a shopping spree, buying cars, jewelry, drugs, clothes, and more. He and others used cash and a credit card that belonged to Ali.

Turner fled to Colorado where U.S. Marshals arrested him. On his body they found a firearm which was determined to be the murder weapon.

"This was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder," Boulware told the jury. "From the moment he was charged with this crime, he has tried to escape responsibility."

Bangs noted that before this trial began, Turner obtained the names of jurors and their telephone numbers, and gave them to an inmate charged with murder. At the trial on November 20, as Bangs addressed the jury, Turner tried to hold up a sign to the jury but was handcuffed by Sheriff's deputies who removed him from the courtroom, while he yelled out "she lied."

Ali came to the United States from Pakistan decades ago to pursue the American dream. Ali's son, Hussein, spoke in the courtroom after the death penalty was announced. "Thank you for giving us justice," Ali said. "I hope there are no more devils like this person."