The annual list of best U.S. colleges is out. Where did TCU rank?
After dropping last year, TCU is back in the top 100 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual collegiate rankings.
For 2025-26, TCU ranks 97th in the country and sixth in Texas. This is the 15th time the university has made the top 100, following a string of 14 straight years before falling out of the top tier in 2024-25.
In its analysis, U.S. News & World Report gave TCU high marks for its entrepreneurship, teaching, nursing and business programs. The publication ranked the university 62nd on the list of best colleges for veterans and 72nd overall in value.
U.S. News & World Report put TCU’s average annual cost of tuition at $63,590, significantly higher than the national average of $46,950.
Student outcomes, including graduation rate, played a big part in the calculations for the rankings. According to U.S. News & World Report, 85% of TCU students graduate within six years. Nearly 80% of students who qualify for federal tuition assistance graduate within that timeframe.
“TCU’s ranking in U.S. News’ top 100 once again recognizes the tremendous effort of our faculty and staff to create a world-class academic experience for our students,” Chancellor Daniel Pullin is quoted as saying in an article published by TCU. “We are focused on enhancing our research, shaping our academic programs to meet employer demands and creating a student experience that is second to none.”
In August, the Princeton Review ranked TCU No. 1 for happiest students in a nationwide poll. In the same rankings, the university came in at No. 3 for best-run colleges in the country.
TCU’s 2025-26 U.S. News & World Report ranking is nine spots behind rival SMU (No. 88), but higher than other local universities, including UT Arlington (No. 222) and the University of North Texas (No 208). UT Dallas fell just outside the top 100 at No. 110.