The University of Houston is a public research university serving around 37,000 students. The school was founded in 1927 and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, master's, doctor's and professional degrees. The university is also part of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, the American Council on Education and the Association of American Colleges.
Texas Southern University is a historically black school located in Houston's Third Ward. It enrolls just under 10,000 people, serving students from more than 50 countries. Texas Southern University is known for its Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the most diverse law school in the United States. Texas Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university was briefly placed on probation by the SAC due to administrative and financial issues, but this probation was lifted as of June 2010.
Rice University is a small private university located near Houston's Museum District. This school is notable for its high level of research activity and applied science programs. Rice serves around 6,000 students and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the International Association for Management Eduction, the National Architectural Accrediting Board and the Texas Education Agency.
The University of St. Thomas, also called UST, is a Catholic university founded in the late 1940s. This school is the only Catholic university located in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The school enrolls just more than 3,000 students from 57 countries and offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees. Around 67 percent of the student population is Catholic. The University of St. Thomas is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.