Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX
U.S. News 2026 National Universities rank: #97
Texas Christian University is a private university in Fort Worth, Texas, founded in 1873 and affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), though it does not require religious affiliation to attend. TCU competes in the Big 12 Conference as the Horned Frogs, and its football rivalry with Baylor is nicknamed "The Revivalry" since both schools have Christian roots. The Neeley School of Business is TCU's largest and best-known college, drawing the biggest share of undergraduates, while AddRan College of Liberal Arts, named for founders Addison and Randolph Clark, is the university's oldest. TCU requires first- and second-year students to live on campus with a dining plan, a policy with few exceptions, and undergraduates join fraternities and sororities at a rate well above the national average. The endowment traces partly to a 1923 gift from Mary Couts Burnett, widow of a Texas rancher and oilman. Classes are small: most sections run under 30 students, and the 14-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio supports close contact with professors. TCU suits students who want a mid-sized campus with a strong business program, Big 12 sports culture, and a structured, socially active residential experience rather than a large research-university anonymity or a fully secular setting.
Key figures
- Acceptance Rate (Overall): 44.5%
- Average Net Price (Federal Aid Recipients): $36,660
- 6-Year Graduation Rate: 85.5%
- Median Starting Salary: $56,818
- Total Undergraduate Enrollment: 11,026
- SAT Middle 50% (composite midpoint): 1298
- Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 14