WASHINGTON D.C.—Texas universities are keeping their promises to students and taxpayers, according to a national report released by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) called What Will They Learn? ACTA is a nonprofit dedicated to academic excellence, academic freedom and accountability in America’s higher education.
What Will They Learn? evaluates over 1,100 public and private liberal arts colleges and universities based on their requirement of seven core subjects: composition, literature, intermediate-level foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, math and science. Schools are issued a grade from “A” to “F.”
*Grade for UT System is an average of all UT schools
Only 24 schools in the country earn an “A” from What Will They Learn?, and three of these universities call Texas home: Baylor University, Houston Baptist University and University of Dallas. Houston Baptist University proved quite the upstart as it was evaluated for the first time this year but earned an “A,” something Rice University has failed to do since it was first evaluated in 2004. The small Catholic-affiliated University of Dallas also earns an “A.” Baylor University is rare among “A” schools, proving that it is possible to have a top-ranking curriculum and a top-ranking football team.
Public universities in Texas also do well compared to other flagship institutions. UT–Austin earned a “B” for its curricular requirements. Meanwhile, Michigan State earns a “C,” and Louisiana State University and the University of Virginia both earn “Ds.”
To see the full Texas report card, visit www.whatwilltheylearn.com.
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CONTACT
Molly Mitchell
Director of Communications
mmitchell@goacta.org
202.467.6787
In this 11th edition of its flagship annual survey of college general education curricula, What Will They Learn?, ACTA shines a light on the wide disparity in academic standards at institutions of higher learning across the country. What Will They Learn? reviews the core curricula of over 1,100 four-year public and private institutions to determine the […]
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WASHINGTON, DC—Texas institutions of higher education ranked above average in general education, according to the new What Will They Learn? report from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). Of the 50 major Texas colleges surveyed, 29 earned a “B” or higher for their core requirements. Over 70% require students to take an American […]
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