Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Auburn University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Kentucky. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | AuburnAuburn, AL | Texas at DallasRichardson, TX | KentuckyLexington, KY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 45.9% | 65.1% | 92.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1260–1390 | 1160–1410 | 1070–1290 |
| Average net price | $24,32312.5% on Pell grants | $18,26730.0% on Pell grants | $18,85122.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $12,890 in-state · $34,922 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $14,644 in-state · $40,144 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $13,502 in-state · $34,140 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 82.0% | 75.7% | 71.4% |
| First-year retention | 94.8% | 90.0% | 86.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 12.5% | 30.0% | 22.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $65,337 | $68,227 | $59,025 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,000 | $18,000 | $22,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 21:1 | 27:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 26,816 | 21,751 | 24,763 |
| Consensus percentile | 34Lower is better | 34Lower is better | 40Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 54 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 55 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 45 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Auburn | Texas at Dallas | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #102 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #110 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #143 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #163 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #141 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #233 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #833 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #582 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #694 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #169 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #319 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #258 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #84 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #219 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #205 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | #858 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #604 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #795 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Auburn University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Texas at Dallas on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Kentucky on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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