HEAD OF THE CLASS

San Antonio university earns 3rd place in new list of 2024's best Texas colleges

This is a big win for Trinity University

College students looking for an exemplary education in Texas can still apply to this top-ranking San Antonio university before its early decision deadline on November 1.

It's perfect timing, as Trinity Universityhas earned the No. 3 spot in WalletHub's 2024 ranking of the best colleges and universities in Texas. This also comes only a month and a half after its triumph on education review platform Niche's small and liberal arts college lists.

The personal finance experts analyzed more than 800 colleges and universities in the United States using 30 metrics to determine their rankings.

Trinity earned second place in the categories for the best acceptance rates (28 percent in 2023), and for its student-to-faculty ratio (nine students per faculty member). In the categories for graduation rate and post-attendance median salary, the private institution earned No. 7 and No. 5, respectively.

According to U.S. News and World Report, Trinity's tuition and fees cost $51,352.

Gerardo L. Blanco, an associate professor at Boston College, provided some advice for prospective students aiming to graduate college with minimal debt and significant job prospects in their chosen degree field. He advised that students learn the difference between a university's "sticker price" versus the net price after financial aid. It could be particularly useful for students planning for a post-secondary education at private institutions like Trinity University.

"There are public universities, both flagship and regional, that offer great value for money," Blanco said. "Many private non-profit institutions are committed to promoting access and, even with higher sticker prices, offer generous financial aid."

In WalletHub's regional ranking of best universities in the South, Trinity earned No. 15.

Out of the top 500 universities in the nation, Trinity ranked No. 69. Yale University took the No. 1 spot in the country, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 2), Princeton University in New Jersey (No. 3), and California Institute of Technology (No. 4). Harvard University in Massachusetts rounded out the top five.

The top 10 colleges and universities in Texas are:

No. 1 – Rice University, Houston
No. 2 – The University of Texas at Austin
No. 3 – Trinity University, San Antonio
No. 4 – Texas A&M University-College Station
No. 5 – Southwestern University
No. 6 – Southern Methodist University
No. 7 – University of Dallas
No. 8 – Austin College
No. 9 – LeTourneau University
No. 10 – Texas Christian University

The full report can be found on wallethub.com.

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Drop the Debt

Students of families making under $100,000 will get free tuition to UT

University of Texas at San Antonio/Instagram

This is an extension of a previous program with a lower income eligibility.

Beginning next fall, some students accepted into schools within the University of Texas system will receive free tuition and have all fees waived, the board of regents announced on Wednesday.

In order to qualify, families of undergraduates must make less than $100,000 a year.

The board gave preliminary approval to the plan on Wednesday. After the full board’s consideration and vote on Thursday, the plan will include a new, immediate infusion of $35 million directly to campuses to offer the financial aid benefit. The plan also directs additional investment in endowments supporting financial aid to ensure a commitment for tuition relief.

In 2019, the regents established a $167 million endowment at UT Austin to completely cover tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students from families with an income of up to $65,000. In 2022, the regents approved a second endowment of almost $300 million called “Promise Plus” to extend the program to all UT academic institutions.

“To be in a position to make sure our students can attend a UT institution without accruing more debt is very important to all of us [...]” Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the board of regents, said.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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