Texas is the second most important state for engineering education in the United States — home to globally ranked engineering programs at UT Austin and Texas A&M, internationally recognized research universities at Rice, and a network of accessible public engineering schools serving Texas’s massive engineering workforce needs across the energy, aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and technology industries that define the state’s economy.
For comparison with New York’s engineering education landscape — our guide to top engineering colleges in New York covers Columbia, Cornell, NYU Tandon, RPI, and 6 additional programs. For California’s engineering landscape — our guide to top engineering colleges in California covers Caltech, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and 6 additional California programs.
How We Selected These Top Engineering Colleges in Texas
Our selection criteria: ABET accreditation for specific programs, program reputation within Texas and nationally, research output and industry connections — particularly with Texas’s energy, aerospace, defense, and technology sectors — delivery format, and tuition accessibility across the full Texas market.
1. University of Texas at Austin — Cockrell School of Engineering
UT Austin Cockrell is consistently ranked among the top 10 public engineering schools in the United States — with exceptional research output and deep industry connections across Texas’s technology, energy, and semiconductor sectors. Programs span 12 engineering departments including Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, and Petroleum Engineering.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Exceptional Austin technology and semiconductor connections — AMD, NXP, Samsung Austin, and Apple Austin engineering facilities all recruit heavily from Cockrell. In-state tuition: approximately $13,000-$15,000 per year. Best suited for: Texas residents seeking top-10 public university engineering education with exceptional Austin technology and semiconductor industry connections at competitive in-state tuition.
2. Texas A&M University — College of Engineering
Texas A&M Engineering is one of the largest engineering colleges in the United States by enrollment — producing a massive volume of engineering graduates who enter Texas’s energy, aerospace, defense, and technology sectors each year. The Aggie Network alumni community provides extraordinary career support across every sector of Texas’s engineering economy.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Largest engineering program volume in Texas. Aggie Network provides unmatched Texas engineering career support. In-state tuition: approximately $12,000-$14,000 per year. Best suited for: Texas residents seeking a high-volume engineering program with the most powerful alumni network in Texas’s engineering workforce and exceptional energy and aerospace sector connections.
3. Rice University — George R. Brown School of Engineering
Rice Engineering is a globally recognized research engineering program — with exceptional research output relative to its size and a strong focus on Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science, and Bioengineering. Rice’s Houston location provides exceptional energy industry and medical technology connections.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Globally recognized small research university engineering. Strong Houston energy and medical technology connections. Tuition: approximately $58,000 per year. Best suited for: high-achieving students seeking globally recognized private research university engineering education with small cohort model, exceptional faculty access, and strong Houston energy and bioengineering industry connections.
4. University of Texas at Dallas — Erik Jonsson School of Engineering
UT Dallas Engineering serves North Texas’s enormous technology industry — with particular strength in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Systems Engineering given Dallas’s concentration of major technology employers including Texas Instruments, AT&T, and Ericsson. UT Dallas’s close relationship with Texas’s semiconductor and telecommunications industries is reflected throughout its curriculum.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Strong Texas Instruments and DFW technology sector connections. In-state tuition: approximately $13,000-$15,000 per year. Best suited for: DFW area students seeking engineering education with the strongest Texas semiconductor and telecommunications industry connections available within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan market.
5. University of Texas at Arlington — College of Engineering
UT Arlington Engineering serves the DFW area’s engineering workforce needs — with particular strength in Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Materials Science Engineering given Arlington’s position between Dallas and Fort Worth’s aerospace and defense industrial base. UTA produces a significant share of North Texas’s engineering workforce annually.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Strong DFW aerospace and defense industry connections. In-state tuition: approximately $12,000-$14,000 per year. Best suited for: DFW area students seeking engineering education with strong aerospace and defense sector connections at competitive public university tuition in the center of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
6. Texas Tech University — Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering
Texas Tech Engineering serves West Texas’s engineering workforce needs — with particular strength in Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Wind Energy Engineering reflecting the Permian Basin’s energy significance and West Texas’s enormous wind energy potential. Texas Tech’s petroleum and wind energy programs are among the most practically connected engineering programs in the United States.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Strongest Permian Basin and wind energy engineering connections in Texas. In-state tuition: approximately $11,000-$13,000 per year. Best suited for: energy sector engineering students — particularly those interested in petroleum and wind energy — seeking the most practically connected energy engineering programs available at accessible public university tuition.
7. University of Houston — Cullen College of Engineering
University of Houston Cullen serves Houston’s engineering workforce needs — with particular strength in Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, and Computer Science given Houston’s role as the global energy capital. UH Cullen’s connections to Houston’s energy companies and medical center provide exceptional internship and employment pathways.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Strong Houston energy and chemical industry connections. In-state tuition: approximately $12,000-$14,000 per year. Best suited for: Houston area students seeking engineering education with strong energy, chemical, and petroleum industry connections at accessible public university tuition in the heart of the global energy industry.
8. University of Texas at San Antonio — College of Engineering and Integrated Design
UT San Antonio Engineering serves San Antonio’s rapidly growing technology and cybersecurity market — with particular strength in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Cybersecurity given San Antonio’s emergence as a major US cybersecurity hub driven by military and government technology operations.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Distinctive cybersecurity engineering focus. Strong military and government technology sector connections. In-state tuition: approximately $10,000-$12,000 per year. Best suited for: San Antonio area students seeking engineering education with strong cybersecurity, military, and government technology sector connections in San Antonio’s rapidly growing technology economy.
9. Texas Christian University — College of Science and Engineering
TCU Engineering offers programs in Computer Science, Engineering Technology, and Environmental Science — serving the Fort Worth and North Texas market with a values-based private university engineering education. TCU’s smaller program size provides high faculty engagement alongside Fort Worth’s growing technology and advanced manufacturing sectors.
ABET accredited for specific programs. Values-based private university engineering. Strong Fort Worth technology and manufacturing connections. Tuition: approximately $52,000 per year. Best suited for: students seeking private university engineering education with high faculty engagement and values-based academic framework in the Fort Worth and DFW metropolitan area.
10. Prairie View A&M University — College of Engineering
Prairie View A&M Engineering serves Texas’s HBCU engineering education needs — producing engineering graduates from underrepresented communities who enter Texas’s major engineering employers. Prairie View’s engineering programs have strong connections to NASA Johnson Space Center, Texas’s energy companies, and the broader Texas engineering workforce.
ABET accredited for specific programs. HBCU engineering mission with NASA and energy industry connections. In-state tuition: approximately $9,000-$11,000 per year — the most affordable top engineering college in Texas. Best suited for: students committed to HBCU education seeking the most affordable ABET-accredited engineering programs in Texas with NASA and energy industry connections.
How to Verify Engineering College Accreditation in Texas
ABET accreditation is verifiable at abet.org. Texas state authorization is verifiable through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board at thecb.texas.gov. For the complete accreditation verification methodology — our guide to online university accreditation covers all 4 steps. For working Texas engineers considering credential advancement — our guide to education is an investment not an expense covers the 5 proven reasons.
See full list of Best Engineering Schools in Texas
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best engineering college in Texas?
UT Austin Cockrell and Texas A&M are the highest-ranked engineering programs in Texas. Rice University is the highest-ranked private university engineering program. The best engineering college depends on engineering discipline, career sector, location within Texas, and academic profile.
What is the cheapest engineering college in Texas?
Prairie View A&M University offers ABET-accredited engineering programs at approximately $9,000-$11,000 per year for Texas residents — the most affordable among the top engineering colleges in Texas. Texas Tech, UT Arlington, and UT San Antonio also offer competitive in-state tuition at $10,000-$14,000 per year.
Which Texas engineering school has the best energy industry connections?
University of Houston Cullen and Texas Tech (Petroleum Engineering) have the strongest petroleum energy connections. Texas Tech and UT Austin have the strongest wind energy connections. Texas A&M provides the broadest energy sector coverage through the Aggie Network across oil and gas, renewable energy, and energy infrastructure.
