Six of the top 100 colleges in the United States reside here in the Lone Star State, according to a new ranking developed by TIME Magazine.
The University of Texas at Austin was ranked the best in the state and 14th in the country. Harvard University topped the list, followed by Stanford University in second place and the University of Pennsylvania in third.
Top Ranked Texas Universities
- #14 – University of Texas at Austin
- #23 – Texas A&M University
- #40 – Baylor University
- #62 – Trinity University
- #88 – University of Houston
- #90 – Rice University
To compile the ranking, TIME worked with Statista to analyze the resumes of 2,000 U.S. politicians, CEOs, union leaders, Nobel prize winners, and other notables. The study sought to determine which schools were most representative in terms of the educational backgrounds of the leaders in various sectors.
However, success was determined less by the actual education obtained at each school and more by the opportunities afforded to alumni, claimed experts. A diploma from an elite school signals intelligence and the ability to navigate and survive the competitive admission process. While many intelligent candidates do not go to Ivy League schools, elite degrees offer prospective employers a shortcut when hiring, according to David Deming, a professor of political economy at Harvard Kennedy School.
“I’m sure [hiring managers] could find more than a couple of good students at big state universities. But they can also find 30 of them at Harvard,” Deming told TIME Magazine. “I think that people who went to Harvard or schools like it are much more likely to be given a chance.”
Even before entering the workforce, it is not uncommon for Ivy League students to be approached by potential employers. Amy Binder, professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University, called the process a “career funnel.”
Of course, the top of the list is not exclusively made up of Ivy League schools. TIME noted, for example, that the University of Texas (#14) and Texas A&M (#23) have a reputation for producing graduates who end up in leadership positions in the oil and gas industry.
