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City Rankings

Best Colleges in Houston, Texas

Top colleges in Houston ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes -- updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 17
Avg grad earnings: $63,697

Top Colleges in Houston

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

#SchoolGrad Earnings
1Rice University

#4 national

$89,718
2University of Houston

#159 national

$62,377
3University of Houston-Clear Lake

#565 national

$59,004
4University of St Thomas

#580 national

$59,224
5Houston Christian University

#1200 national

$55,933
6University of Houston-Downtown

#1823 national

$53,551
7Houston Community College

#2278 national

$39,254
8Texas Southern University

#2592 national

$38,924
9The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center$90,232
10The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston$88,757

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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