educational excellence

San Antonio university named top college for 2027 by Princeton Review

Trinity University is one of the 50 best value private universities for 2027.

Trinity University/Facebook

Back-to-school season has returned in full force, and that means it's time for college rankings. One San Antonio university in particular is being hailed as the top of the class for 2027.

The lucky school — Trinity University — earned new acclaim in The Princeton Review's new ranking of the "Best 392 Colleges" for 2027. Outside of town, Texas State University in San Marcos also earned high praise.

The Princeton Review's 35th annual "Best Colleges" rankings are determined by a survey of 172,000 current college students that gave "candid feedback" about their schools and their experiences. The flagship guide does not rank the schools overall, but it does rank them across 50 different categories, including best-run colleges, best quality of life, happiest students, best athletic facilities, among others.

In all, 14 Texas institutions were highlighted in the overall list of the 392 best colleges.

Schools don't pay to be included in the guide, but The Princeton Review clarified that schools could pay for a "featured" designation. Trinity and Southwestern University, a private school in the Austin suburb of Georgetown, were the only two Texas schools that paid to be "featured."

In addition to being included in the overall list, Trinity University was highlighted as one of the Best Value Colleges, Colleges That Create Futures, and it starred in the regional Best Southwest list that contained 41 universities across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

"Home to approximately 2,500 students, Trinity is a rigorous and supportive community where intellectually curious students are known, challenged, and encouraged to pursue ambitious goals," the school's profile says. "Through small classes and close faculty mentorship, students develop the knowledge, confidence, and adaptability to thrive in a changing world through the power of a broad education."

Trinity also earned the following rankings on four other lists:

No. 11 – Best Science Lab Facilities
No. 16 – Great Financial Aid
No. 25 – Best Health Services
No. 46 – Top 50 Best Value Private Colleges

Texas State University also appeared in the Best Southwest list, and it was named a top Green College, which examined schools that "share superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education, and a healthy quality of life for students on campus."

"Given that Texas State caters to over 33,000 undergraduates and offers more than 200 degree programs, students admit that there are a number of large-class lectures," Texas State's profile says. "But the general high satisfaction of students speaks to the quality of classes, and the 'wonderful professors that ignite [their] academic passions.'"

Graduate students at Texas State can also brag that their school boasts one of the 10 best graduate education schools statewide.

The 12 other public and private universities in Texas included in The Princeton Review's 2027 guide are:

The University of Texas at Austin
Southwestern University, Georgetown
Baylor University, Waco
Texas A&M University - College Station
Rice University, Houston
University of Houston
Angelo State University, San Angelo
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
University of Dallas, Irving
Southern Methodist University, Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
Austin College, Sherman

universities the princeton review rankings san antonio trinity university

equality news

Texas ranks near bottom for women's equality in 2026

Photo by DEAD GOOD LEGACIES on Unsplash

Women need to stand together in Texas.

Texans have many reasons to brag on their state, but one study that annually ranks Texas near the bottom of the pack could use some forward momentum: WalletHub's annual report, "Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality," ranks the state as the third worst for women's equality in 2026.

Texas ranks No. 48 for the second year in a row, which is only one place better than its No. 49 place in 2024. A decade before that, in both 2014 and 2015, Texas ranked No. 47.

WalletHub's 2026 report determined where women receive the most equal treatment in the U.S. by comparing all 50 states using 17 key indicators for women's workplace environment, education and health, and political empowerment. For all metrics, analysts compared the differences between women and men, and certain states were treated as having gender equality in the metrics where women showed an advantage over men.

Only Utah (No. 50) and Oklahoma (No. 49) rank lower than the Lone Star State in 2026.

Hawaii still leads as the No. 1 best state for women's rights nationwide, followed by Maryland (No. 2), Alaska (No. 3), Maine (No. 4), and Vermont (No. 5).

Texas ranked 37th in the report's "workplace environment" category, which compared gender disparities in income, unemployment rates, entrepreneurship rates, job security, economic security, and the share of men versus women in executive positions, among others.

In the "political empowerment" category — which compared the disparity in the share of lawmakers in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, state legislature, and state-elected executives — Texas ranked 39th nationally.

Overall, Texas' worst performance was in the national "education and health" ranking, which examined gender disparities in math test scores, doctor-visit affordability, and advanced educational attainment — meaning the share of the population aged 25 and older with an advanced degree higher than a bachelor's. In this category, Texas ranked 49th.

Here's how the Lone Star State fared in other rankings in the study:

No. 19 – Entrepreneurship rate gap
No. 31 – Work hours gap
No. 34 – Earnings gap
No. 36 – Executive positions gap
No. 39 – Political representation gap

Texas hasn't been ranking particularly well in other recent WalletHub studies that measure various aspects of livability. In 2026, Texas has ranked as the fourth-worst state for women, the ninth-worst state for working mothers, and the seventh-worst state to have a baby. It was also named one of the worst states to live in general.

"Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in a statement. "States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics. The best states for women’s equality have drastically reduced the disparities between men and women on multiple fronts."

texas wallethub reports women's equality women's rights

educational excellence

San Antonio university named top college for 2027 by Princeton Review

NY Times spotlights 2 San Antonio-area restaurants and more top stories

Popular San Antonio Mexican steakhouse quietly closes 2nd location

Helotes locals rally after coffee chain removes heritage oak

equality news

Texas ranks near bottom for women's equality in 2026