Thursday, October 10, 2024
Social Mobility/ROI

Forbes ranks UTSA among ‘America’s Top Colleges’ for affordability, ROI

Forbes ranks UTSA among ‘America’s Top Colleges’ for affordability, ROI

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 — Forbes has ranked UTSA No. 127 in public universities in its 2024–2025 America’s Top Colleges list for the university’s success in delivering an affordable, high-quality education that supports students from diverse financial backgrounds and prepares them for long-term success.

Forbes’ ranking methodology evaluates higher education institutions based on alumni salary, student debt, graduation rates, return-on-investment (ROI), retention and academic success.

Among ranked institutions, UTSA earned these placements:

  • #127 among public colleges
  • #178 among research universities
  • #64 in the South
  • #272 out of 500 public and private institutions

These rankings reflect UTSA’s continuing efforts to eliminate financial barriers, empowering students to graduate quicker and with less debt. For example, 39% of UTSA students are graduating with no tuition loan debt compared to 29% a decade ago.

Forbes’ ranking also emphasizes schools that effectively support Pell Grant recipients, rewarding institutions like UTSA for serving a large percentage of low-income students and achieving strong graduation outcomes for them. About 75% of UTSA undergraduates receive financial aid, and more than 11,000 undergraduates, or 45% of all students, receive federal Pell Grants each year, according to the UTSA Office of Institutional Research and Analysis.

UTSA’s Bold Promise and Bold Scholars programs provide intentional support to help students succeed in addition to offering financial assistance and on-campus housing that can magnify belonging and success. Initially launched in 2019, Bold Promise provides full tuition to eligible Texas students who rank in the top 25% of their high school class and have household incomes up to $70,000. Since its inception, more than 4,000 students have benefited from the program and 67% of Bold Promise students have been first-generation college students.

UTSA further supports retention and persistence through its network of faculty development and support, student success, mentoring and advising programs. The university also actively seeks opportunities to collaborate with similar institutions and with nationwide initiatives to improve student success outcomes.

For example, by participating in the nationwide Student Experience Project, UTSA leveraged new classroom approaches training for faculty. The enhancements contributed to a 2% decrease in drop, fail and withdrawal (DFW) rates between Fall 2022 and Fall 2023 during the pilot phase, with improvements across various student groups, including Pell-eligible and first-generation students.


EXPLORE FURTHER
⇒ UTSA’s profile is on the rise: view the rankings that recognize the university’s strengths and innovations.
⇒ Forbes ranks UTSA’s online B.B.A. in Cyber Security No. 5 in the nation.
Four years later, the first cohort of UTSA Bold Promise students fulfills the promise.

UTSA consistently prepares graduates for successful careers in top industries aligned to the region’s strengths, supported by a combination of financial assistance, strong academic support programs, and a commitment to empowering students from all backgrounds to build their own bold futures.

Brett Copeland



UTSA Today is produced by University Strategic Communications,
the official news source
of The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu.


UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.


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UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.