College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School1
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life1
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
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RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
collegesState: TexasROTCClear all

53 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Rice University

    #1 in Texas
    Houston, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 8,556 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 5%

    The University of Texas at Austin

    #2 in Texas
    Austin, TX · Public · 4-year · 53,082 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 5%

    Trinity University

    #3 in Texas
    San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,694 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Southern Methodist University

    #4 in Texas
    Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 11,842 students

    About $41,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value FairAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Texas Christian University

    #5 in Texas
    Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 12,785 students

    About $37,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value FairAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    Texas A&M University-College Station

    #6 in Texas
    College Station, TX · Public · 4-year · 76,633 students

    About $21,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 11%

    Baylor University

    #7 in Texas
    Waco, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 20,824 students

    About $41,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value FairAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 13%

    The University of Texas at Dallas

    #8 in Texas
    Richardson, TX · Public · 4-year · 30,885 students

    About $18,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 17%

    University of Dallas

    #13 in Texas
    Irving, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,182 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 23%

    University of Houston

    #16 in Texas
    Houston, TX · Public · 4-year · 46,676 students

    About $14,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 26%

    Texas Tech University

    #18 in Texas
    Lubbock, TX · Public · 4-year · 40,773 students

    About $19,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 35%

    University of St. Thomas

    Top 22% for graduation
    Houston, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,813 students

    About $19,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Saint Edward's University

    #22 in Texas
    Austin, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,309 students

    About $26,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 45%

    University of North Texas

    #23 in Texas
    Denton, TX · Public · 4-year · 47,507 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 49%

    Texas A & M International University

    Top 2% for low net price
    Laredo, TX · Public · 4-year · 8,536 students

    About $4,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Texas State University

    #28 in Texas
    San Marcos, TX · Public · 4-year · 38,722 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    St. Mary's University

    #29 in Texas
    San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,411 students

    About $21,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    The University of Texas at Arlington

    Top 23% for earnings
    Arlington, TX · Public · 4-year · 43,992 students

    About $14,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    The University of Texas at San Antonio

    Top 17% for low net price
    San Antonio, TX · Public · 4-year · 34,864 students

    About $11,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

    Top 4% for low net price
    Edinburg, TX · Public · 4-year · 31,931 students

    About $5,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Lubbock Christian University

    #34 in Texas
    Lubbock, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,589 students

    About $24,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Dallas Baptist University

    #36 in Texas
    Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 4,201 students

    About $29,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Sam Houston State University

    #39 in Texas
    Huntsville, TX · Public · 4-year · 21,403 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Stephen F Austin State University

    #41 in Texas
    Nacogdoches, TX · Public · 4-year · 10,888 students

    About $14,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Our Lady of the Lake University

    #44 in Texas
    San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,096 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong

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