Best colleges for art and design in Texas
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in art or design, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for art and design in Texas54 schools
54 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Texas.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in art or design, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 2
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · PublicHonor Roll#2 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 12%
- 3
Trinity University
San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#3 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 32%
- 4
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#4 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 5
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#5 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 6
Baylor University
Waco, TX · Private nonprofit#7 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 7
The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, TX · Public#8 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 10%
- 8
Southwestern University
Georgetown, TX · Private nonprofit#11 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 9
University of Dallas
Irving, TX · Private nonprofit#13 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 50%
- 10
Austin College
Sherman, TX · Private nonprofit#14 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 43%
- 11
Wade College
Dallas, TX · Private for-profit#15 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 12
University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public#16 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 7%
- 13
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX · Public#18 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 14
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, TX · Private nonprofit#20 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 15
University of St. Thomas
Houston, TX · Private nonprofitTop 22% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 29%
- 16
Saint Edward's University
Austin, TX · Private nonprofit#22 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 17
University of North Texas
Denton, TX · Public#23 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 20%
- 18
The University of Texas at Tyler
Tyler, TX · PublicTop 24% for low debt
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 9%
- 19
Texas A & M International University
Laredo, TX · PublicTop 2% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 9%
- 20
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX · Public#28 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 21
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX · PublicTop 23% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 6%
- 22
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX · PublicTop 17% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 9%
- 23
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Houston, TX · Public#32 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 14%
- 24
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX · PublicTop 4% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 25
Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock, TX · Private nonprofit#34 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice University | About $13,000 | $11,000 | $89,718 | 95% |
| The University of Texas at Austin | About $20,000 | $20,500 | $75,121 | 89% |
| Trinity University | About $23,000 | $22,954 | $71,668 | 84% |
| Southern Methodist University | About $41,000 | $19,500 | $78,354 | 84% |
| Texas Christian University | About $37,000 | $21,500 | $68,424 | 86% |
| Baylor University | About $41,000 | $23,000 | $65,793 | 80% |
| The University of Texas at Dallas | About $18,000 | $18,000 | $68,227 | 76% |
| Southwestern University | About $29,000 | $25,000 | $56,878 | 73% |
| University of Dallas | About $23,000 | $23,117 | $58,285 | 73% |
| Austin College | About $21,000 | $24,500 | $61,296 | 67% |
| Wade College | About $21,000 | $22,938 | $36,657 | 54% |
| University of Houston | About $14,000 | $18,194 | $62,377 | 65% |
| Texas Tech University | About $19,000 | $21,500 | $62,454 | 69% |
| Abilene Christian University | About $26,000 | $24,250 | $55,736 | 59% |
| University of St. Thomas | About $19,000 | $19,928 | $59,224 | 69% |
| Saint Edward's University | About $26,000 | $24,803 | $58,826 | 63% |
| University of North Texas | About $16,000 | $19,250 | $57,010 | 61% |
| The University of Texas at Tyler | About $13,000 | $17,137 | $57,053 | 54% |
| Texas A & M International University | About $4,000 | $15,000 | $48,386 | 46% |
| Texas State University | About $17,000 | $21,000 | $56,906 | 55% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | About $14,000 | $17,527 | $63,199 | 54% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | About $11,000 | $20,500 | $57,131 | 53% |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake | About $16,000 | $17,831 | $59,004 | 52% |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | About $5,000 | $12,950 | $49,620 | 51% |
| Lubbock Christian University | About $24,000 | $20,948 | $53,787 | 51% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 19
- Alaska 3
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 17
- California 75
- Colorado 15
- Connecticut 21
- Delaware 3
- District of Columbia 7
- Florida 29
- Georgia 32
- Hawaii 5
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 47
- Indiana 36
- Iowa 24
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 22
- Louisiana 16
- Maine 13
- Maryland 20
- Massachusetts 44
- Michigan 30
- Minnesota 30
- Mississippi 7
- Missouri 32
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 15
- Nevada 4
- New Hampshire 8
- New Jersey 26
- New Mexico 6
- New York 85
- North Carolina 39
- North Dakota 5
- Ohio 59
- Oklahoma 15
- Oregon 14
- Pennsylvania 74
- Puerto Rico 17
- Rhode Island 9
- South Carolina 25
- South Dakota 9
- Tennessee 27
- Utah 8
- Vermont 8
- Virginia 33
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 11
- Wisconsin 29