TribBlog: How Texas Colleges Stack Up [Updated]

The day that universities have been waiting for — some eagerly, others with a healthy dose of dread — has finally arrived. The 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report's influential (and often controversial) college rankings are out.

For better or worse, a school's place on the list can hold sway over its reputation. Nationally, the highest-rated Texas school is Rice University in Houston, which ranks 17th in the country for the seventh year in a row. (The top 20 list hasn't much changed over the years.) On the list of more regional schools, San Antonio's Trinity University ranks No. 1 in the West.

Here's a sampling of how the Texas schools stack up:

National Universities (all schools)

17 Rice University

45 University of Texas at Austin

56 Southern Methodist University

63 Texas A&M University

79 Baylor University

99 Texas Christian University

143 University of Texas at Dallas

159 Texas Tech University

National Public Universities

13 University of Texas at Austin

22 Texas A&M University

72 University of Texas at Dallas

85 Texas Tech University

Regional Universities — West (all schools)

1 Trinity University

15 University of Dallas

19 Abilene Christian University

19 St. Mary's University of San Antonio

21 St. Edward's University

27 University of St. Thomas

30 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

32 Hardin-Simmons University

35 LeTourneau University

40 Texas State University-San Marcos

50 Houston Baptist University

59 Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

59 University of the Incarnate Word

62 Our Lady of the Lake University

62 University of Texas at San Antonio

62 Wayland Baptist University

71 Stephen F. Austin State University

71 Texas A&M International University

71 Texas Wesleyan University

71 University of Texas at Tyler

77 West Texas A&M University

84 University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Regional Public Universities — West

12 Texas State University-San Marcos

21 Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

22 University of Texas at San Antonio

25 Stephen F. Austin State University

25 Texas A&M International University

25 University of Texas at Tyler

30 West Texas A&M University

34 University of Texas at Permian Basin

National Liberal Arts Colleges

62 Southwestern University

81 Austin College

Regional Colleges — West

14 McMurry University

16 Howard Payne University

18 Concordia University Texas

18 East Texas Baptist University

20 Schreiner University