Recognition for achievements and excellence in numerous initiatives and efforts across UT San Antonio were celebrated in 2025.
The national-level awards affirmed the university’s longstanding commitment to supporting students and powering the community’s workforce pipeline. Here are the top four in 2025.
In April, UT San Antonio earned the “Opportunity College and University” designation from Carnegie Classifications, recognizing the university as a national model for fostering student success and promoting social mobility.
As part of a newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification published by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education, the designation reflects the extent to which institutions foster opportunities for student success by measuring whether institutions are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve — and how the earnings of those students compare to peers in their area.
Advancing social mobility
In September, U.S. News & World Report recognized UT San Antonio as a leader in social mobility and innovation, qualities at the heart of the university’s mission.
Universities in the “most innovative” category are recognized for promising innovations in curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities.
UT San Antonio is now the third-largest research university in Texas and designated as a Carnegie R1 institution. The ability to attract scholars who will add expertise in research areas is vital to enhancing competitiveness.
Innovative faculty help to solve societal needs and advance the university’s capacity to meet UT System and state goals as outlined by the Texas Legislature.
Serving as a national model
In November, the university received one of the highest honors in the nation when the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) presented the university with the 2025 Excellence in Student Success Award.
The award recognized the university’s comprehensive, data-driven approach to advancing student achievement.
Leading with online learning
Also in November, Newsweek magazine and Statista named UT San Antonio one of America’s Top Online Colleges for 2026, ranking the university 49th nationwide, fifth in Texas, second in the UT System and first in San Antonio.
The university climbed 44 spots from its #93 position in the 2025 rankings, reflecting its continued growth and commitment to accessible, high-quality online education.
Just because both were in November, they don’t necessarily go together. The APLU story is a really nice piece that stands alone, and you might add a graph there from the story.
