A Year of Achievement, Growth and Community Impact at St. Edward’s University
The 2025–2026 academic year stands as a testament to the resilience, growth and remarkable achievements of our Hilltop community. Across academics, vibrant traditions and campus life, students, faculty and staff embraced new challenges and opportunities with enthusiasm and purpose.
Anchored by a deep sense of connection and school pride, this year reflects our commitment to developing thoughtful, driven leaders with a shared mission to create meaningful change in a more just and equitable world.
Recognition and Milestones
St. Edward’s was again recognized among the top regional institutions in the nation, earning No. 5 in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Regional Universities in the West rankings.
For the second consecutive year, the university also ranked No. 2 for Best Undergraduate Teaching. Additional notable rankings include No. 3 in the Best Value Schools in the West category and No. 4 in the Best Colleges for Veterans category.
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program named St. Edward’s a Top Producing Institution in the Small Colleges and Universities category. The Gilman Program provides merit-based scholarships to undergraduate students with significant financial need, enabling them to study or intern abroad.
Since the program’s inception in 2001, 91 St. Edward’s students have earned Gilman scholarships, gaining career-ready skills, improving language proficiency and expanding global professional networks.
The School of Health Sciences is launching the first-ever Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, designed for registered nurses seeking to advance their careers and take on greater leadership or clinical responsibilities.
The flexible, online program supports working professionals as they build advanced skills in healthcare leadership, patient care and evidence-based practice.
With applications now open for the Healthcare Leadership concentration beginning in Fall 2026, the program reflects the university’s commitment to addressing the growing need for highly skilled nursing professionals and strengthening healthcare outcomes in Texas and beyond.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) granted five-year accreditation to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. CCNE, a national accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education, ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate and residency/fellowship programs in nursing.
In addition, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) has approved candidacy status for the Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) program. This milestone means the program has officially entered candidacy status and will be able to begin admitting students in Fall 2026.
The Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve celebrated its 50th anniversary as a cornerstone of conservation and environmental education in Central Texas.
At the heart of the preserve is the Wild Basin Creative Research Center, a St. Edward’s-owned and operated field station where students engage in hands-on research in a living laboratory.
Through the Center, students conduct meaningful, real-world studies that advance conservation, support ecological stewardship and deepen understanding of local ecosystems.
The Hilltop is now home to Central Texas’ first-ever Tiny Forest, a 600-square-foot densely planted space featuring more than 160 trees and shrubs.
Located near Lucian-Hamilton Baseball Field and East Hall, the forest uses the Miyawaki Method to accelerate growth, enhance biodiversity and increase carbon sequestration in a compact area. The forest is projected to become fully self-sustaining within two to three years and reach heights of up to 15 feet by 2030.
Serving as a living laboratory for students, the Tiny Forest reflects an innovative approach to sustainability that combines environmental impact with hands-on learning and ecological research.
The Arbor Day Foundation awarded the university the 2025 Tree Campus Higher Education designation for the 11th consecutive year. This national recognition honors colleges and universities that effectively manage campus trees, promote tree education and create meaningful service-learning opportunities.
In addition, the Common Ground Oak was named Austin’s Tree of the Year in the Large Tree category by TreeFolks and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation. The Common Ground Oak, located behind Teresa Hall, sits near the Students for Sustainability Garden, the Food Forest and the "Three Sisters" garden.
The Kozmetsky Center of Excellence celebrated the opening of its new Carriage House space.
The new workspace is being utilized to host civic forums, speaking engagements with elected officials and livestream viewings of Austin City Council meetings. The building is also home to multiple podcast booths utilized for the production of The Civics Lab podcast, a student-and-faculty-led podcast providing a public platform for storytelling through interviews with political experts and sharing research or public engagement experiences.
Partnerships and Gifts
St. Edward’s and Austin Community College (ACC) hosted a celebration to commemorate transfer student success stories and the future of ACComplish @ St. Edward’s.
Since the launch of the innovative scholarship program, more than 50 students successfully transferred directly from ACC to the Hilltop during the Fall 2025 semester.
St. Edward’s is expanding hands-on learning opportunities through new partnerships that bridge education and industry.
In collaboration with Abilitie and TED, the university will launch a virtual 12-Week MBA program in Fall 2026. Designed for working professionals, the program offers immersive, applied learning experiences focused on building practical business and leadership skills.
In March, Austin Texas Musicians (ATXM) launched a dedicated series of master classes at St. Edward’s, bringing together industry experts, working professionals, and experienced artists to support musicians in building sustainable careers.
The initiative offers training in areas such as business strategy, revenue development, and long-term career growth — equipping participants with the tools to navigate today’s evolving music industry while strengthening Austin’s broader creative ecosystem.
In partnership with the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro), St. Edward’s welcomed a new bikeshare station on campus, expanding access to eco-friendly transportation for students, faculty and staff.
The new station is one of CapMetro’s largest electrified bikeshare stations, making it easier for the campus community to reduce carbon emissions while commuting or exploring Austin.
Longstanding supporters Nicole and Ramzi Al-Rashid ’98 generously contributed $1,309,000 to establish The Nicole and Ramzi Al-Rashid Endowed Scholarship and The Nicole and Ramzi Al-Rashid Endowed Professorship of Health Sciences, advancing academic excellence and professional development for students and faculty in this field of study.
This gift to the School of Health Sciences is one of many contributions the Al-Rashids have made to advance the university and its community. They are also recognized for their past support of the Robert and Pearle Ragsdale Center and the university’s baseball team.
The university received more than $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to launch the American Civic Explorers (ACE) program, a civics education initiative led by the Kozmetsky Center of Excellence. The program will provide K–12 students with free, immersive digital and in-person learning experiences focused on constitutional literacy, civic skills, and community engagement.
Over the next three years, ACE will reach hundreds of students through summer civics camps and educator training, while also expanding access to online learning modules for thousands of students nationwide.
St. Edward’s is one of 85 institutions selected — and the only private Catholic university in Texas — to receive this federal grant in 2025.
Two Commencements, One Hilltop Celebration
The Fall and Spring semesters of 2025–2026 culminated in meaningful celebrations honoring our graduates at both the December and May Commencement ceremonies. Students, faculty, staff, families and friends gathered to recognize our graduates as they received their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
This year’s graduating class also included some of the 10 Presidential Award recipients whose experiences at St. Edward’s have shaped their leadership, strengthened their commitment to service and empowered them to create positive change in their communities.
We proudly celebrate the Class of 2025–2026 and look forward to all they will accomplish beyond the Hilltop.
Explore More Hilltop Highlights
Relive the energy and Blue and Gold spirit of Anchors Weekend, Homecoming 2025 and more memorable moments from the Fall semester at St. Edward’s.
