@1NJparent- not sure what you are referring to by Rice being a model that Rice pursues, but if its related to US news rankings, who cares? Don’t think Rice’s goal is to sell magazines, and top 20 schools are all excellent. Anyone care that Stanford is #7? Oh heavens- the horror!
One big advantage TX schools provide is entry to state’s thriving economy and abundance of jobs. It’s easier to get hired at regional offices of mega companies here and then moving to their offices in more desireable cities where breaking in to top companies is really difficult for new graduates.
If you like Texas then just settle here, it’s a great state to buy a fancy house and raise family at a more higher standard. You can buy a house which you can’t even dream about in NY or SF. State has no income tax, low cost of living and state/medical schools are very affordable. Lots of good reasons to take Texas schools seriously.