students at desks in a UTD classroom

UT Dallas is ranked as one of the best values among the nation's public universities. For its list, Forbes considers alumni earning, net price, net debt, school quality, timely graduation and the population of Pell Grant recipients.

The University of Texas at Dallas was named among the best values in higher education, according to the newly released 2018 America’s Best Value Colleges by Forbes.

UT Dallas is listed as the third best value public university in Texas and moved from ranking No. 65 among U.S. institutions to No. 61.

“It’s gratifying to be recognized for the work of our faculty and staff toward the goal of nurturing academic excellence alongside economic value,” UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson said.

Forbes evaluated the 650 schools featured in the 2017 Top Colleges list offering four-year degrees along six metrics: alumni earning, net price, net debt, school quality, timely graduation and the population of Pell Grant recipients. Out of those, the top 300 schools were featured in the 2018 Best Value ranking.

Carter Coudriet, an assistant editor at Forbes, noted that the list is intended to help students decide whether their college investments are likely to reward them with a healthy return.

In December, UT Dallas was ranked No. 41 in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s list of the best values among the nation’s public universities.

“As our University approaches its 50th year of existence, it’s enriching to reflect on what we’ve accomplished in such a short time,” Benson said. “We are proud to give students from both nearby and from around the world the opportunity of an excellent education at an excellent value. Maintaining this capability is one of our signature achievements.”

UT Dallas also ranks No. 1 in the United States among universities founded less than 50 years ago, according to a 2017 Times Higher Education report.