best in the world
6 DFW universities declared best in the world on 2026 U.S. News list
TCU is the 1,906th best university in the world, according to U.S. News.
Six Dallas-Fort Worth universities have been named among the best universities worldwide in U.S. News & World Report's just-released comprehensive list for 2026-2027.
U.S. News' Best Global Universities report ranks more than 2,250 schools based exclusively on their academic research performance and international reputation. Only 275 universities from the U.S. were included in the global ranking, and 21 are based in Texas.
Harvard University topped the list for 2026-2027, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University claimed the coveted No. 2 and No. 3 spots worldwide.
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas topped the list of the best local schools, and it ranked as the 113th best university in the world. Fort Worth's Texas Christian University ranked No. 1,906 on the list.
Earlier in June, UT Southwestern ranked No. 69 in a separate list of the best global universities from the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), which compared 2,000 schools globally.
Here's how the rest of Dallas-Fort Worth's local institutions ranked:
- No. 503 – University of Texas at Dallas
- No. 739 – University of North Texas, Denton
- No. 875 – University of Texas at Arlington
- No. 944 – Southern Methodist University
In a statement explaining global university trends, the managing editor for Education at U.S. News, LaMont Jones, Ed.D., said schools in the U.S. have continued to rank "disproportionately high" while major universities from other countries in China and South America are starting to catch up.
"The continuing strength of [American university] reputations and academic research are, for the most part, unmatched," he said. "It's why students all over the world flock here to learn."
Top-ranking Texas universities
The University of Texas at Austin ranked No. 1 statewide and No. 56 worldwide, further cementing the university's reputation as the top choice for students seeking the best higher education in Texas. CWUR also ranked UT Austin as the 35th best university in the world.
Here's where other Texas universities stand among the top 1,000 in this year's global rankings:
- No. 144 – Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
- No. 177 – Texas A&M University, College Station
- No. 201 – Rice University
- No. 296 – University of Texas at San Antonio
- No. 324 – University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
- No. 390 – University of Houston
- No. 451 – Baylor University, Waco
- No. 562 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock
- No. 599 – University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston
