College students looking for an Ivy League-level education in Texas can still apply to Houston's consistently No. 1-ranking university before its early decision deadline on November 1.

Perfect timing, as Rice University has earned the top spot in WalletHub's 2024 ranking of the best colleges and universities in Texas.

The personal finance experts analyzed more than 800 colleges and universities in the United States using 30 metrics to determine their rankings.

Rice earned first place in the categories for the best admission rates (7.9 percent), student-to-faculty ratio (6 undergraduates per faculty member), gender and racial diversity, graduation rates, and post-attendance median salary. In the categories for net cost and on-campus crime, the private institution earned No. 41 and No. 39, respectively.

According to U.S. News and World Report, Rice's tuition and fees cost $58,128.

Gerardo L. Blanco, an associate professor at Boston College, provided some advice for prospective students aiming to graduate college with minimal debt and significant job prospects in their chosen degree field. He advised that students learn the difference between a university's "sticker price" versus the net price after financial aid. It could be particularly useful for students planning for a post-secondary education at private institutions like Rice University.

"There are public universities, both flagship and regional, that offer great value for money," Blanco said. "Many private non-profit institutions are committed to promoting access and, even with higher sticker prices, offer generous financial aid."

Rice also claimed the top spot in U.S. News' ranking of the best colleges and universities in Texas for 2024, and earned No. 17 overall in the nation. Rice's Jones School of Business earned No. 2 in an earlier U.S. News report of the best graduate business schools in Texas.

In WalletHub's regional category of best universities in the South, Rice earned No. 2, right behind Duke University in North Carolina.

Out of the top 500 universities in the nation, Rice ranked No. 7. Yale University took the No. 1 spot in the country, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 2), Princeton University in New Jersey (No. 3), California Institute of Technology (No. 4), Harvard University in Massachusetts (No. 5), and Duke University (No. 6).

The top 10 colleges and universities in Texas are:

• No. 1 – Rice University, Houston
• No. 2 – The University of Texas at Austin
• No. 3 – Trinity University, San Antonio
• No. 4 – Texas A&M University-College Station
• No. 5 – Southwestern University
• No. 6 – Southern Methodist University
• No. 7 – University of Dallas
• No. 8 – Austin College
• No. 9 – LeTourneau University
• No. 10 – Texas Christian University

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.