Texas Real Estate Blog & Market News

Many colleges and universities in Texas are located in the cities of Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi and Austin. Two of the state’s publicly funded universities – the University of Texas, Austin and Texas A&M University, College Station are among the largest universities in the country, with each enrolling roughly 40,000 undergraduate students.

In matters, real estate, one of the benefits of investing in properties near any university campus, is that property owners can keep their investments insulated from the dips in the market as student housing is always a necessity.

Here are some of the top ten universities in Texas you should consider.

1. Rice University

Located in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, Rice University offers a dynamic student life. Founded in 1912, this private institution has a total undergraduate enrollment of over 3,000 students, and its urban setting has a campus size of 300 acres. There are several choices of off-campus rentals around the university. They include the Binz area which offers low moderate rentals and is only a short commute to the University. Next to the campus is Bissonnet-Southampton with a few small apartment complexes, duplexes, and garage apartments. The Montrose area is a vibrant neighborhood with large arty/Bohemian, Hispanic, and gay and lesbian populations. The Medical Center area includes older apartments while Museum District features garage apartments. Reliant Stadium area has various condos, townhouses, and apartments ideal for college living.

2. University of Texas – Austin

Founded in 1883, this public institution has a total undergraduate enrollment of over 40,000 students. Its urban setting has a campus size of 437 acres. The University of Texas- Austin is one of the largest schools in the nation. It’s divided into 18 schools and colleges, the biggest of which is the College of Liberal Arts. Students can access off-campus rentals in the immediate Austin-Round Rock metro area. Some areas popular with UT student rentals include West Campus, Downtown Austin, and East Austin. “The Drag” along Guadalupe Street is a popular place for students to hang out.

3. Southern Methodist University

Founded in 1911, Southern Methodist University is a private research university located in Dallas, Texas. SMU is home to over 11,000 students who are rated as some of the happiest in the country. SMU also hosts the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and several other theaters and museums. Despite its name, this university is nonsectarian in its teaching. Students enrolled in SMU can choose to live off-campus in the surrounding areas such as University Park which consists of condos and townhomes. Other options are in the south of Lovers Lane, north of Mockingbird Lane, east of High School Avenue and west of Greenville Avenue. Some of the popular SMU condo buildings and developments include Campus Vista Condos, Remington SMU Condos, the Shelby Residences, Hillcrest Condos and Franklin Towers Condos.

4. Texas A&M University – College Station

Founded in 1876, Texas A&M University is the first Texas public institution of higher education. Texas A&M University is known as a research-intensive flagship university that is home to over 50,000 students. TAMU ranks as the sixth-largest university in the country, with over 370,000 former students across the globe. There’s also a vibrant student life on campus and throughout the Bryan-College Station community.

TAMU student housing includes both on-and-off-campus housing options. The houses in College Station range from traditional single-family homes, student-style apartments, to sprawling estates, luxury golf course homes, townhomes and more. Popular developments include Treehouse Apartments, The Warehouse at Northgate, the Stack at Legacy Point, Stadium View Apartments, U Center at Northgate, Aggie Station, Callaway Villas, Northpoint Crossing, The Enclave at College Station, The Zone, U Club Townhomes and Gateway at College Station.

5. Baylor University

Baylor University is the largest Baptist university in the world. Founded in 1845, it’s also the oldest university in Texas still operating under its original name and is home to over 14,000 students. Its city setting has a campus size of 1,000 acres. Students have several options for off-campus rentals nearby. Residential areas surrounding Baylor campus include Oakwood, Alta Vista, Austin Avenue, Brazos, Brook Oaks, and East Riverside across the river. The area also has various Baylor homes for sale under 250k that are great for student properties.

6. Texas Christian University

Home to the purple and white Horned Frogs, TCU is located in the old Chisholm Trail city of Fort Worth, Texas. With over 7,000 students, TCU affiliation with the Christian Church began in 1873 when it was originally called AddRan College. The immediate campus area doesn’t have many rentals for college students to choose from. But the surrounding areas such as Stonegate offer one bedroom houses with rents hovering around $550-$750. It’s a fantastic area to live in with many units available right on the Trinity River. Hulen Mall area has one bedroom units which start around $450-$550, and for a higher budget, the Downtown area goes for over $800.

7. University of Texas – Dallas

The University of Texas at Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas, roughly 18 miles north of downtown Dallas. Founded in 1969, the University of Texas–Dallas is a public institution and is home to over 17,000 students. Its suburban setting has a campus size of 500 acres. When searching for off-campus housing, note that Richardson is a small city in land size, thus you are more likely to find a place in the nearby Dallas or Plano. Areas ideal for college apartment shopping include Market Center in Plano, Far North Dallas, and Richardson along West Renner Road and West Campbell Road.

8. Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University is the 5th largest college in Texas with an enrollment of over 50,000 students. It's football team the "Texas Red Raiders" are proud members of the Big 12 conference. Tech is one of the few schools in the world to house a university, law school, and medical school in the same location. Some of the best options for college students when apartment-hunting around Texas Tech, include North Overton and South Overton – the twin neighborhoods to the immediate east of the Texas Tech campus. To the south is Tech Terrace and Maxey Park while Arnett Benson is to the north.

9. University of Houston

Considered a state research university, the University of Houston is the largest university in Texas. Home to over 40,000 students, UH is a tier 1 school and offers over 300-degree programs. The area has several off-campus housing options with great rentals for college students. They include Medical Center, Midtown, West University/Kirby, Shepherd, Montrose, Galleria, and Houston Heights which is only 10 minutes from the campus.

10. Trinity University

Founded in 1869, this private four liberal arts institution has over 2,500 students who study among 42 majors in six-degree programs. Trinity ranks as a school that promotes the public good. Besides Trinity University’s on-campus options, there several off-campus rentals available for students. Some of the best neighborhoods for college students to rent include Tobin Hill, Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrel Hills and Woodlawn Lake.