D1 Colleges in Texas – List of All NCAA Division I Schools

Playing Division 1 (D1) sports is a major accomplishment. Competing at a D1 level requires extensive time, training, and commitment. Overall, D1 sports are a major goal for many athletes. In fact, getting recruited can be a dream for many high school athletes. D1 colleges in Texas offer name recognition and many well-known programs with extensive history. Plus, there are many D1 schools in Texas to choose from.

How many D1 colleges are in Texas?

There are 26 D1 colleges in Texas.

D1 programs include: football, basketball, baseball, and softball, among many other options. Additionally, Baylor University offers acrobatics & tumbling at a D1 level for competitive women’s gymnastics.

What is the most popular D1 sport in Texas?

Overall, football is the most popular D1 sport in Texas.

For example, University of Texas has led an exciting 2023-2024 season in the final year of the PAC-12 conference. Additionally, the Texas Longhorns are an enduring image in college sports.

As well, the culture surrounding college football has a large and important impact on campus life. D1 colleges in Texas emphasize the social life and sense of community that surrounds game days on campus. Some universities participate in yearly traditions and superstitions to support their teams.

Additionally, college basketball is an increasingly popular sport for D1 schools Texas.

In 2021, the Baylor Bears won an NCAA title for that year’s March Madness tournament. Effectively, that year’s tournament put D1 basketball programs from Texas on the map.

D1 Schools in Texas – A Comprehensive List

Let’s take a look at the D1 colleges in Texas and determine which sports are offered at each.

D1 Colleges in Texas

1) Abilene Christian University – Abilene, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and Women’s Basketball
• Football (D1 Football Championship Subdivision – FCS)
• Men’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

Abilene Christian University is a private, mid-size institution with about 5,700 undergraduate students. With over 100 student organizations, 87 undergraduate majors, and study abroad opportunities, the university emphasizes quality of student life. The average SAT is 1050-1270, and the average ACT is 22-28.

Acceptance Rate: 66%

2) Baylor University – Waco, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (D1 Football Bowl Subdivision – FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

Baylor University is one of the well-known D1 colleges in Texas. It is a private, Christian university. This institution is larger, with an enrollment of 15,000 undergraduates. The university is also more selective, with a median SAT score range of 1170-1360 and a median ACT score range of 26-32.

Acceptance Rate: 46%

3) Houston Christian University – Houston, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Men and women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

This university was formerly known as Houston Baptist University and is a smaller, private institution. Currently, there are about 2,700 undergraduates. The median SAT range is 1040-1250, and the median ACT range is 22-27.

Acceptance Rate: 85%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

4) Lamar University – Beaumont, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

A large university, Lamar has over 17,000 students enrolled and is part of the Texas State University System. Interestingly, more than half of the total student population are first-generation college students. The median SAT range is 910-1100, and the median ACT range is 16-24.

Acceptance Rate: 88%

5) Prairie View A&M University – Prairie View, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

A mid-size university, Prairie View A&M is home to about 9,000 students. Part of the Texas A&M University System, the university offers 36 bachelor’s degree programs. The school is moderately selective with a median SAT range of 840-1050 and ACT range of 18-20.

Acceptance Rate: 77%

6) Rice University – Houston, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Women’s swimming and diving
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

Sitting on over 300 acres, Rice is home to over 8,500 undergraduate students and Rice University is highly competitive. Consequently, students must produce impressive test scores. The median SAT range is 1490-1570, and the average ACT is 34-35.

Acceptance Rate: 9%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

7) Sam Houston State University – Huntsville, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

With a student body of over 20,000, Sam Houston is a large campus. The university offers more than 230 student clubs and organizations and offers a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. The median SAT range is 950-1120, and the median ACT range is 18-23.

Acceptance Rate: 97%

8) Southern Methodist University – Dallas County, Texas

• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s rowing
• Men and women’s soccer
• Men and women’s swimming and diving
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

SMU is one of the more well-known D1 colleges in Texas. A mid-size institution, enrollment is about 7,000 undergraduate students. More selective, the average SAT range is 1340-1510, and the average ACT range is 31-34.

Acceptance Rate: 53%

9) Stephen F. Austin State University – Nacogdoches, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

With more than 120 undergraduate degree programs, this institution is home to more than 8,000 undergraduate students. The student body is affectionately known as the Lumberjacks. The school is moderately selective, with median SAT test scores ranging from 980-1160, and ACT scores ranging from 18-24.

Acceptance Rate: 83%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

10) Tarleton State University – Stephenville, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

A public research university, Tarleton is part of the Texas A&M University system. The school is moderately selective, with median test scores ranging from 960-1140 on the SAT and 17-23 on the ACT. With over 8,500 undergraduate students, the school is a mid-size institution.

Acceptance Rate: 57%

11) Texas A&M University – Commerce – Commerce, Texas

• Baseball
• Men’s basketball
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

Popular majors at this mid-size institution include information science, business, and liberal arts and humanities. Furthermore, the total of the study body includes over 5,400 undergraduate students. Typically, SAT scores range from 930-1150, and ACT scores range from 17-24.

Acceptance Rate: 87%

12) Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi – Corpus Christi, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

Also part of the Texas A&M system, this university is home to almost 6,000 undergraduate students. Some of the most popular majors include nursing, liberal arts and humanities, and business. Moderately selective, the average SAT range is 970-1180, and the average ACT range is 18-25.

Acceptance Rate: 91%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

13) Texas A&M – College Station, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men’s and women’s swimming and diving
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s wrestling
• Women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

One of the more well-known D1 colleges in Texas, Texas A&M is known as the “Aggies.” Surprisingly, this university hosts over 1,300 student organizations and more than 140 undergraduate programs. A large university, the campus is home to more than 50,000 students. Moderately selective, the average SAT range is 1140, and the average ACT range is 25-31.

Acceptance Rate: 64%

14) Texas Christian University – Fort Worth, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Men and women’s swimming and diving
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

Home of the Horned Frogs, TCU is another one of the well-known D1 schools in Texas. A larger institution, TCU is home to over 10,000 undergraduate students. The SAT range is 1130-1350, and the ACT range is 26-31.

Acceptance Rate: 54%

15) Texas Southern University – Houston, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

TSU is a historically black college and has a long commitment to the education of black students. The campus size is slightly smaller, with about 4,800 undergraduate students. The school is moderately selective with an average SAT range of 820-1000, and an ACT range of 15-19.

Acceptance Rate: 63%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

16) Texas State University – San Marcos, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s wrestling
• Women’s volleyball

A large university, Texas State University has over 26,000 undergraduate students enrolled. Popular majors include psychology, business, and liberal arts and humanities. The average SAT range is 990-1180, and the average ACT range is 18-25.

Acceptance Rate: 70%

17) Texas Tech University – Lubbock, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s wrestling
• Women’s volleyball

A public research university, Texas Tech is highly rated as one of the best Hispanic-serving institutions. A large university, there are over 28,000 undergrads. The average SAT range is 1110-1280, and the average ACT range is 23-28.

Acceptance Rate: 68%

18) University of Houston – Houston, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Women’s swimming and diving
• Women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s wrestling
• Women’s volleyball

One of the well-known D1 schools in Texas, the students at the University of Houston are known as the Cougars. A large university, it is home to over 27,000 undergrads. The average SAT range is 1140-1330, and the ACT range is 23-28.

Acceptance Rate: 66%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

19) University of North Texas – Denton, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s swimming and diving
• Women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s wrestling
• Women’s volleyball

A moderately selective school, the average SAT range is 1010-1240, and the average ACT range is 19-26. Interestingly, the institution is one of the larger D1 schools in Texas with over 25,000 undergraduate students. Some of the most popular majors are liberal arts and humanities, psychology, and biology.

Acceptance Rate: 81%

20) University of Texas – Arlington – Arlington, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Men and women’s golf
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s wrestling
• Women’s volleyball

A large institution, University of Texas – Arlington is home to almost 20,000 undergrad students. The average SAT range is 1000-1220, and the average ACT score is 19-26. Interestingly, the campus spans over 400 acres.

Acceptance Rate: 93%

21) University of Texas – Austin – Austin, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s rowing
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s swimming and diving
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

Interestingly, this university is rated as the best Hispanic-serving institution in America. Another of the well-known D1 colleges in Texas, it features a large campus with over 38,000 undergrads. The average SAT range is 1230-1500, and the average ACT range is 27-33.

Acceptance Rate: 29%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

22) University of Texas – El Paso – El Paso, Texas

• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

A mid-size institution, this university houses about 13,000 undergraduates. The average SAT range is 940-1130, and the average ACT range is 17-22. Popular majors include liberal arts and humanities, nursing, and biology.

Acceptance Rate: 100%

23) University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley – Edinburg, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Men and women’s golf
• Men and women’s soccer
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

At this school, some of the popular majors include liberal arts and humanities, law enforcement administration, and biology. A larger university with over 19,000 undergrads, this is a moderately selective school. The average SAT range is 900-1120, and the average SAT range is 17-22.

Acceptance Rate: 94%

24) University of Texas – San Antonio – San Antonio, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FBS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s wrestling
• Women’s volleyball

This institution is moderately selective, with the average SAT range at 1020-1220, and the average ACT range from 18-26. A large university, this campus is home to over 22,000 undergraduates. The student-to-faculty ratio is 23:1.

Acceptance Rate: 90%

D1 Colleges in Texas (Continued)

25) University of the Incarnate Word – San Antonio, Texas

• Baseball
• Men and women’s basketball
• Football (FCS)
• Men and women’s golf
• Men and women’s soccer
• Softball
• Men and women’s swimming and diving
• Men and women’s tennis
• Men and women’s track and field
• Women’s volleyball

Here, the average SAT score is 920-1160, and the average ACT score is 17-23. A smaller institution, the university enrolls about 4,000 undergraduate students. This college is a catholic-affiliated higher institution.

Acceptance Rate: 94%

26) Dallas Baptist University – Dallas, Texas*

• Baseball

*This university only competes at the D1 level in one field. They are an affiliate member of Conference USA.

Another Christian university, Dallas Baptist is a small institution with about 2,300 undergraduate students. The average SAT range is 940-1200, and the average ACT range is 19-26.

Acceptance Rate: 90%

D1 Schools in Texas – Additional Resources

We hope you have found our list of D1 schools in Texas to be helpful and want to recommend checking out the following resources:

• All-Time Women’s College Basketball Scoring
• Highest Paid College Basketball Coaches
• Highest Paid College Football Coaches
• D1 vs. D2 vs D3 College Athletics – What is the Difference?
• Best and Loudest College Football Stadiums
• Who Has the Most College Football Championships