The 10 Best Business Schools in Texas

Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas
Flowers in front of the Jack K. Williams Systems Administration Building at Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas. TriciaDaniel / Getty Images

If you're hoping to earn your MBA or other graduate business degree from a college or university in Texas, you have plenty of options. A total of 73 schools offer some form of graduate business degree. The top ten schools all do well in the national rankings and have full-time MBA programs with talented faculty, robust curricula, strong reputations, and impressive job placement records. At each school you'll have opportunities for real-world internship experience, and your degree is likely to boost your earning potential significantly.

If a full-time program isn't an option for you, keep in mind that many of these schools also offer evening, weekend, and online options.

01
of 10

University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business

University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin.

Robert Glusic / Corbis / Getty Images

Located centrally on the main campus of the University of Texas at Austin, the McCombs School of Business typically tops the rankings of MBA programs in the state. Nationally, U.S. News & World Report typically ranks McCombs among the country's top 20 schools, and the school has notable strengths in accounting, information systems, and entrepreneurship. McCombs also ranks among the top 10 business schools for undergraduates. McCombs has the largest full-time MBA program on this list, with an enrollment of over 550 students.

At the master's level, McCombs offers students seven specializations: accounting, business analytics, finance, health care transformation, IT and management, marketing, and technology commercialization. The school also offers an Integrated Master's in Professional Accounting, a highly selective five-year program that allows students to earn their Bachelor in Business Administration and Master in Professional Accounting. Students can also choose from five Ph.D. programs.

Note that while UT Austin represents an excellent value for in-state students at the undergraduate level, the MBA program does not offer the same kind of steep discount. The program is excellent, but the cost will be similar to programs at private institutions.

02
of 10

Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business

Lovett Hall at Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
Lovett Hall at Rice University. Witold Skrypczak / Getty Images

Located southwest of downtown Houston, the Jones Graduate School of Business has a central location on Rice University's main campus. The highly ranked school has several MBA options: a traditional full-time MBA program, an MBA program for working professionals, an Executive MBA program for advancing the careers of business leaders, and a hybrid online degree program for those who need the flexibility of distance education. The full-time program has an enrollment of 236 students. Princeton Review ranked Rice #1 for its entrepreneurship program, and the school also won high marks for human resources, finance, and the quality of the classroom experience.

Rice takes pride in the small size of its program, with an average class size of about 40 students and an environment that fosters close relationships between faculty and students. The school has a 100% internship placement rate, and average salaries after graduation are close to $125,000.

03
of 10

University of Texas at Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management

UT Dallas School of Management
UT Dallas School of Management.

Stan9999 / Wikimedia Commons

Located about 16 miles north of downtown Dallas, the Naveen Jindal School of Management ranks well nationally for both its full-time and part-time MBA programs. The school offers evening and online options for working professionals looking to advance their careers. UT Dallas is home to eight schools, and the School of Management is by far the largest, with over 9,000 students. Roughly half are enrolled in the school's graduate programs. The full-time MBA program has about 100 students enrolled.

The school's size allows for significant breadth in the curriculum. Programs are centered around six main areas of specialization: accounting, finance and managerial economics, information systems, marketing, operations management, and OSIM (organizations, strategy and international management). Within those areas, however, MBA students have options for further specialization. The MBA program has 15 concentrations including business analytics, energy management, international management, real estate, and systems engineering and management.

Along with broad options for earning an MBA, the Naveen Jindal School of Management offers over 20 options for Master of Science degrees in business fields. With 16 business-focused centers and institutes, the campus has a faculty that is heavily engaged in business research.

04
of 10

Texas A&M Mays Business School

Texas A&M Academic Building at the heart of the main campus in College Station
Texas A&M Academic Building at the heart of the main campus in College Station.

Denise Mattox / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0​

Texas A&M's full-time MBA program is housed on the university's main campus in College Station and has an enrollment of 123 students. The Mays Business School also offers a Professional MBA and an Executive MBA program on their CityCentre campus in Houston. These programs meet on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate the schedules of working professionals.

The full-time Mays MBA program requires three semesters of coursework plus a summer internship. Students can choose from six academic tracks: business data analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, supply chain and operations, or healthcare. Students have the option of staying a fourth semester to explore an additional area of specialization, including international business and advanced international affairs.

In their final semester, Mays students gain real-world experience through the program's Business Consulting Project. In this three-credit course, students work in teams to solve problems for businesses ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Students have other opportunities through study abroad options in Denmark, France, China, and Germany. MBA students also learn from business leaders at major companies through the program's Executive Speaker Series.

05
of 10

Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business

Southern Medodist University
Southern Medodist University. Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images

Located in the heart of SMU's main campus just north of Dallas, the Cox School of Business consistently ranks among the top 50 MBA programs in the country. The school houses seven departments: accounting, finance, information technology and operations management, management and organizations, strategy and entrepreneurship, real estate insurance and business law, and marketing. A total of 225 full-time MBA students are enrolled in the school.

Along with its popular Bachelor of Business Administration program, the Cox School of Business offers a wide range of master's degree options. Students can earn M.S. degrees in six fields: accounting, business analytics, finance, management, health promotion management, and sport management. If you're looking to earn your MBA, the school has a traditional two-year program as well as a rigorous one-year option. You'll also find a Professional MBA program, an Executive MBA program, and an online option.

SMU Cox takes advantage of its Dallas location. The city is the fastest growing in the United States, and it is home to a broad range of start-ups, established businesses, and Fortune 500 companies.

06
of 10

Baylor University Hankamer School of Business

Neff Hall at Baylor University
Neff Hall at Baylor University.

Ken Lund / Flickr /  CC BY-SA 2.0

In the 2020 U.S. News & World Report, Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business ranked #57 in the country for graduate business schools. Business is extremely popular at Baylor, and the School of Business is home to 25% of the university's total student body. Over 3,000 undergraduates are enrolled in business majors, and 605 students are enrolled in MBA programs (84 are full time).

For full-time MBA students on Baylor's main campus in Waco, the Hankamer School of Business offers concentrations in health care administration, business analytics, entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, and cyber security. Students can earn an MBA in 17 months, which includes a three-month internship for gaining valuable real-world experience. The healthcare administration track takes longer: 22 months including a nine-month executive residency.

The Hankamer School offers Executive MBA programs in both Dallas and Austin. The school also has a highly ranked online MBA program.

07
of 10

Texas Christian University Neeley School of Business

Brown-Lupton University Union at Texas Christian University
Brown-Lupton University Union at Texas Christian University.

Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Located on the eastern edge of the Texas Christian University campus in Forth Worth, the Neeley School of Business ranked #61 among graduate business schools in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report. The School of Business is home to roughly 2,400 undergraduate students and 350 MBA students (92 full time). The small size of the graduate programs combined with a 13 to 1 student to faculty ratio allows professors to get to know their students well.

At the graduate level, the Neeley School of Business offers M.S. degrees in accounting and supply chain management. The school also has numerous MBA options: a traditional full-time MBA, Professional MBA, Executive MBA, Energy MBA, and Health Care MBA. TCU Neeley students do well after graduation. The average starting salary for BBA students is $73,051. For traditional MBA students it's $93,312, and Executive MBA students average $180,907.

The Neeley School of Business is home to several research and collaboration centers including the Center for Real Estate, Center for Supply Chain Innovation, Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Sales and Customer Insights Center.

08
of 10

University of Houston Bauer College of Business

M.D. Anderson Library at the University of Houston
M.D. Anderson Library at the University of Houston. Katie Haugland / Flickr

The University of Houston Bauer College of Business is located on UH's main campus, just southeast of downtown Houston. The college has an enrollment of roughly 6,600 students, and about 1,000 of those students are enrolled in the graduate programs. The Professional MBA program and M.S. in Accountancy program each have about 290 students, while the full-time MBA program has 68 students. Other program options include an Executive MBA, Energy MBA, and M.S. degrees in eight business specialties.

A Bauer MBA is highly customizable, for the curriculum is heavy in electives. Students can craft the educational path they want by choosing from 21 certificates and over 100 elective courses. Classes are small, and the college emphasizes case studies and experiential learning.

09
of 10

Texas Tech University Rawls College of Business Administration

Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University. Kimberly Vardeman / Flickr

The Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University is organized into six areas of academic specialization: accounting, energy commerce and business economics, finance, information systems and quantitative sciences, management, and marketing and supply chain management. Students can earn M.S. degrees in accounting, data science, finance, and marketing research and analytics. MBA students have several options including a STEM MBA, Professional MBA, or online MBA. Some MBA programs can be completed in as little as one year.

Located on Texas Tech's main campus in Lubbock, Rawls Business provides students with the advantages of being part of a large comprehensive university. MBA students have numerous opportunities for earning a joint degree with programs including law, medicine, pharmacy, architecture, biotechnology, environmental toxicology, and sport management. The college is home to 105 full-time MBA students.

10
of 10

University of Texas at San Antonio College of Business

University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Texas at San Antonio.

Longhornsguy07 / Wikipedia /  CC0 1.0

With over 7,000 students, the University of Texas at San Antonio College of Business is extremely large, although the majority of graduate students attend part time. The full-time MBA program has an enrollment of just 54. The school wins high marks for diversity, and it tends to be near the top of rankings for its service to Hispanic students. The college also has a highly regarded cyber security program.

The college's size allows it to offer a broad range of academic options. Undergraduates can choose from 11 business-related programs including accounting, statistics and data science, actuarial science, and real estate finance. At the graduate level, the college offers ten master's degree options, three MBA programs, and six doctoral programs. Within the traditional MBA program, students can choose from learning tracks in finance, marketing, project management, and real estate finance and development. Established business professionals can opt for the Executive MBA program with weekend classes.

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Grove, Allen. "The 10 Best Business Schools in Texas." ThoughtCo, Aug. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/best-business-schools-in-texas-4783635. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 29). The 10 Best Business Schools in Texas. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/best-business-schools-in-texas-4783635 Grove, Allen. "The 10 Best Business Schools in Texas." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/best-business-schools-in-texas-4783635 (accessed March 29, 2024).