What makes Dallas-Fort Worth so popular these days? Top universities are on the long list of things drawing people to the region. It’s just one reason folks are calling DFW “America’s Boomtown.”

Higher Education in the Big D

U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 ranking of the Best Colleges in Texas is out, and a trio of DFW universities makes the Top 10 among the 87 contenders.

Coming in at number four, Southern Methodist University is cherished for its liberal arts tradition and is renowned as a hub for global research. Celebrating its 150-year anniversary in 2023, Texas Christian University takes the sixth spot on the list. Following up at number seven, the University of Texas at Dallas is one of the largest and fastest-growing public universities in the DFW area.

Dallas Has the Best High Schools in Texas

U.S. News and World Report also says the state’s top three high schools (out of over 2,000 considered) are in Dallas.

Topping its list of the Best Texas High Schools, the School for the Talented and Gifted in the Oak Cliff area also ranks number-eight in the nation. The Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, number two on the list, is the first public all-girls school in Texas. Number three, the Science and Engineering Magnet School, is one of the Dallas Independent School District’s six magnet high schools.

America’s Fastest-Growing Metropolis

That’s Dallas-Fort Worth. Between 2021 and 2022, over 170,000 new residents decided to call the DFW area their home. That massive population shift is the highest of any metro area in the country. What’s driving this unprecedented influx of people?

Business is a big reason. Since 2020, over 250 businesses have relocated or expanded to the DFW area. In 2022, Texas added a whopping 650,000 new jobs, more than any other state in the nation. Dallas-Fort Worth had over a third of the state’s employment gains.

Infrastructure plays a key part. They’re investing billions in the DFW Airport, the second-busiest airport on the planet. Billions more are headed to improve and develop roads and highways in the DFW metro area. And there’s lots of room to grow: Dallas leads the nation in available land for new construction.