Two Lone Star State institutions of higher education broke into the top 100 of a national ranking of colleges by The Wall Street Journal.
The WSJ recently published the results of its 2024 list of the best 400 universities in the United States, with both Texas A&M University in College Station and Rice University in Houston landing in the highest quartile.
The rankings by the WSJ and its partners College Pulse and Statista relied on a comprehensive analysis, which factored in several variables.
For instance, student outcomes accounted for 70% of the score, taking into account the salary impact through a comparison of earnings with similar colleges, the amount of time it takes for the degree to pay for itself via earnings, and the graduate rate compared to analogous institutions.
The learning environment and the diversity of the student body accounted for 20% and 10%, respectively.
Data for both was compiled via student surveys, with questions centering around what students thought about the opportunities for learning and professional growth offered at the institution, as well as how often they were able to interact with students from different backgrounds.
These data points offer potential students a broad view of what each university offers both in the short and long term.
The highest-rated university in Texas was Texas A&M University in College Station, with a ranking of 38.
Texas A&M achieved an overall score of 79.7 out of 100, with a notable boost to a graduate’s salary of $44,877.
The university also showed a strong performance in its salary impact (83) and graduation rate (89).
Additional metrics, such as career preparation and learning opportunities, were rated 71 and 65, respectively.
Diversity was scored a bit lower at 53.
Further down the list, Rice University came in at 64 and attained an overall score of 77.5.
Rice scored particularly well in learning facilities with an 83 and maintained a solid graduation rate of 86. A higher diversity score — 72 — was also logged compared to Texas A&M.
However, the salary boost seen by graduates versus those of similar institutions was slightly lower, scoring 67 out of 100. Nonetheless, that boost is a hefty sum of $61,254.
Topping the WSJ’s list was Princeton University, which scored 91.6 overall.
It was followed by other Ivy League institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Stanford University, and Columbia University.
Harvard University fell just short of the top five, landing at No.6.
As recently reported in The Dallas Express, the policy of favoring legacy and donor applicants at Harvard has come under heavy scrutiny since a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Boston-area civil rights groups.
The WSJ’s top 400 list wasn’t limited to just two Texas schools, as nearly two dozen others made the cut.
Some notable mentions in North Texas include Southern Methodist University (No.175), the University of Texas at Arlington (No.202), the University of Texas at Dallas (No.236), Texas Christian University (No.247), University of North Texas (No.249), and the University of Dallas (No.296).
