Top 10 Reasons for Hilltop Pride
Each year, St. Edward’s proudly stands among the region’s premier universities, celebrated for the transformative education and life-changing outcomes we deliver.
What fuels our place at the top? It’s the extraordinary opportunities awaiting our students — and the passion with which Hilltoppers seize them. From engaging in rigorous academics and impactful research to thriving on our vibrant campus and connecting with Austin’s dynamic ecosystem, our students embody the heart of our mission.
While we could share endless reasons to choose the Hilltop, here are 10 points of pride that speak directly to the power of a St. Edward’s education.
1. We’re a Top-Ranked University in the Western Region!
As a leading university in the West, St. Edward’s University earned standout honors in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, taking the No. 6 spot overall among Western Regional Universities. Demonstrating exceptional academic leadership and community impact, the university secured the No. 3 ranking among Top Private Colleges in the West, No. 3 for Best Value Schools, and No. 5 for Best Colleges for Veterans.
St. Edward’s also climbed five spots to rank No. 5 in Social Mobility — affirming its commitment to student opportunity and delivering a transformative education that equips students from all economic backgrounds for long-term career advancement.
2. We’re Answering Future Workforce Needs and Building Paths to Career Readiness
St. Edward’s is meeting the region’s growing demand for healthcare professionals by developing programs that fill critical workforce gaps in Central Texas and beyond. Under our new School of Health Sciences, our Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing have become among our most enrolled programs, preparing the next generation of skilled and compassionate healthcare leaders.
Through our Accelerated Graduate Pathways program, undergraduate students gain a head start on advanced degrees by beginning graduate coursework during their senior year, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in just five years while saving on tuition.
Career readiness is equally central to the St. Edward’s experience. Through the Career and Professional Development Office, students can participate in Career Treks — site visits to leading organizations in Austin and across Texas, including Circuit of the Americas, Google, SXSW, ACL Live!, Ascension Dell Children’s Medical Center and AT&T Stadium. From their first days on the Hilltop, students meet with career coaches, build employer connections, complete assessments to clarify career goals, and access programming and resources that support their professional growth well beyond graduation.
3. Our Students Gain Real-World Learning Beyond the Classroom
On the Hilltop, academic excellence translates directly into real-world action. Throughout their educational journey, students gain tangible experience that builds a resume-ready bridge to top internships and careers. Our curriculum turns learning into action: student researchers bring ideas from concept to creation; theater majors earn Actors’ Equity points; visual art students display their portfolios in professional exhibitions; and finance majors master real-time market analysis in our Bloomberg Lab.
Across every discipline, St. Edward’s embeds concrete opportunities to apply classroom theory within Austin’s thriving economic and cultural community, giving Hilltoppers the immersive, hands-on practice needed to step confidently into their next chapter.
Beyond the Classroom
Our students participate in research and studies across the state of Texas at places like Wild Basin, Enchanted Rock, Edwards Aquifer, and more. From Texas Ecology to Ornithology, our curriculum is constantly being refreshed to meet the needs of our modern world.
4. Our Faculty Bridge Expert Knowledge with Student Success
In an evolving higher education landscape, our faculty lead with purpose. They foster authentic learning in an era of rapid technological change, creating safe environments where diverse students take risks and gain deeper understanding. As trusted voices in their fields, our professors share insights on national headlines, from historic political events to environmental research, securing prestigious grants for their work and innovative teaching. Bringing real-world expertise into the classroom, faculty collaborate with students on cutting-edge research and societal solutions, all while grounding dynamic instruction in our Holy Cross mission.
5. We’re Advancing Careers Through Professional Studies
We deliver industry-aligned professional studies programs that empower working professionals and adult learners to gain new skills and take care of their career journeys in a rapidly shifting job market. Through the Office of Partnerships and Professional Studies, St. Edward’s partners with leading workforce, civic and industry organizations to create accessible, specialized pathways for lifelong learners.
Our collaboration with ed2go offers flexible online career certificates tailored to highly sought skill-development needs, while our partnership with Austin Texas Musicians delivers master classes and industry networking for Austin’s creative community. For rising executives, we partner with Abilitie and TED to offer a 12-Week MBA Professional Certificate. Additionally, our credentialing partnership with the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce awards certificates from St. Edward’s University to graduates of the Hispanic Austin Leadership program, preparing civic leaders to drive strategic and meaningful impact across Central Texas and beyond.
Austin Career Connections
Through the Career and Professional Development Office, St. Edward’s students are encouraged to sign up for “Career Treks”, where they can explore career and internship opportunities from local industries in Austin and across Texas.
6. We Prepare Next-Level STEM Graduates
St. Edward’s prepares STEM graduates to thrive in the rapidly evolving 4th Industrial Revolution. Undergraduate research emphasizes curiosity, connection, and discovery, allowing students to work alongside mentors, explore big ideas, and make an impact both inside and outside the classroom through specialized hands-on programs.
The Lucian Symposium showcases student research and fosters academic discussion; the Hook Fellowship supports student-led projects at Wild Basin and Balcones Canyonlands Preserve lands; and NextGen E3 offers 2–10 week workplace training opportunities nationwide, preparing students for careers in natural resources, food science and environmental stewardship.
Our new Applied Data Science program empowers students to enter one of today’s fastest-growing fields confidently. The program emphasizes practical problem-solving with machine learning, artificial intelligence and data-driven decision-making, preparing graduates to extract meaningful insights that transform organizations and communities.
These accomplishments contribute to St. Edward’s historic designation as a research university by the American Council of Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, cementing the university’s commitment to developing the next generation of STEM innovators and leaders.
7. We’re a Veteran- and Transfer-Friendly University
St. Edward’s ranks 5th in the Western region among the “Best Colleges for Veterans” in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. This recognition highlights the university’s academic excellence as well as its certification for the GI Bill and participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
For the eighth year, St. Edward’s is recognized nationally for its support of transfer students. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society has named the university to its 2026 Transfer Honor Roll, an honor awarded to only 275 colleges and universities nationwide in recognition of excellence in supporting community college transfer students. With generous scholarships, vibrant campus life, and Texas Core Complete status, which allows students to transfer seamlessly after completing the community college core curriculum, St. Edward’s provides clear pathways for transfer student success.
Our commitment to transfer students is demonstrated through the ACComplish @ St. Edward’s, a scholarship program in partnership with Austin Community College (ACC). Launched in Fall 2025, the program provides financial support, housing and a streamlined transfer process for ACC students continuing their education on the hilltop.
8. We Live Out Our Holy Cross Mission
Our Holy Cross mission has been the heartbeat of our community for more than 140 years, guiding the success of our students on the Hilltop. Rooted in this mission, our spirit compels us to respond to society’s most pressing challenges as we pursue our vision of becoming a Destination University for a More Just World. This shared responsibility comes alive through our students’ commitment to service and social justice at the local, national and global levels. We nurture Hilltopper pride and well-being through intentional investments in campus spaces, the arts, athletics, and multicultural, social, and experiential programs.
As a proud Minority-Serving (MSI) and Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) for over 30 years, St. Edward’s has long been a university of choice for educating and empowering hearts and minds. Our decades-long dedication to inclusive student programming reflects the core of our Holy Cross mission: opening doors of opportunity for all students, especially those from underserved backgrounds.
Together, these commitments embody the enduring legacy of St. Edward’s, where mission, belonging and impact meet to transform lives and communities.
9. Our Students Achieve at the Highest Level
Hilltoppers are smart, compassionate, creative thinkers and problem solvers. Academic rigor inspires them and advocating for social justice fuels their passion to improve the world. Since 2008, our students have received more than 240 esteemed national and international awards, including Truman, Boren, Pickering, and Gilman fellowships and scholarships, as well as over 85 Fulbright Student grants to teach and study abroad. In fact, St. Edward’s has been a top producer of U.S. Fulbright Students for more than 13 years and was named a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Leader for 2024 — joining only 51 institutions to receive this designation.
Our 2026 Presidential Award winners exemplify this excellence. They have leveraged their enriching experiences to pave the way for their peers, champion positive change in their communities, and transcend expectations in both academic achievement and social advocacy.
"Throughout my time at St. Edward’s, I’ve realized that the impact of research isn’t just in its outcomes, but in how it shapes both the researcher and the community around them. My education here has equipped me with the tools to not only excel in science, but to stand up for injustice, knowing that as a part of a broader community, I have the power to advocate for change.”
– Blen Abegaz ‘25, Biology
Take On Your World
St. Edward’s students are turning classroom experiences into career success, from launching public relations and marketing paths to advancing innovations in technology. Our alumni are making their mark in industries worldwide.
10. We’re Committed to Building a Sustainable Future
With a mission to improve lives and transform communities, the university provides an excellent education of distinguished quality that prepares students to create a more humane, just and sustainable world. This commitment includes offering academic programs that immerse students in environmental and sustainability studies, research, and internships.
Our students participate in university organizations, including the Food Forest Guild, Students for Sustainability, and Monarchs on the Hilltop, which lead research and on-campus sustainability projects.
St. Edward’s continues to lead in environmental stewardship as the first university in Texas to earn Green Grounds Gold Level Certification from Re:wild Your Campus while securing its 11th consecutive Tree Campus Higher Education designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. These sustainability milestones support innovative, hands-on learning, highlighted by the university’s Tiny Forest — the first of its kind in Central Texas — that features more than 160 native trees and shrubs, serving as a living laboratory for student research and campus biodiversity.
