St. Edward’s University has been recognized with another high ranking for the 2021 Best Regional Universities-West by U.S. News and World Report. This is the second year St. Edward’s has ranked in the top 10, and 18th year ranked in the top 25. The report’s annual rating placed St. Edward’s 8th out of 124 colleges and universities in its region.

“I’m definitely proud of the result we achieved,” Dean of Students Steven Pinkenburg said. “Being ranked so highly is wonderful, but it’s even more important to me that we improve on the experience for everyone who will be part of our community tomorrow.”

Ranked schools are split into four groups: national universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional colleges. Rankings are based on a number of factors, including graduation rates, financial resources, social mobility and the reputation of undergraduate academics, according to the U.S. News and World Report. 

“I think they are really a reflection of our students’ success, and the university does work very purposefully to that end,” Pinkenburg said. “Faculty and staff have been working through a strategic plan focused on delivering experiences that help students discover who they are and who they could become.”

Regardless of the way universities and colleges handle bringing students back to campus with COVID-19, the pandemic did not impact the 2021 rankings. 

“It [COVID-19] is really an anomaly and not something the rankings system should assess year over year,” Pinkenburg said. “That could always change in the future, as we may be living with COVID-19 for a while, but I doubt it will be added to the ranking criteria.”

Freshman Chloe Almendarez was surprised with St. Edward’s high ranking due to the size of the school. “If you would’ve told me before I was on campus it ranked in the top 10, I wouldn’t believe you,” Almendarez said. “Now that I’ve been on campus and experienced the culture myself, I am definitely not surprised anymore. My professors are very caring and invested in the material. I can tell they want success for us.”

This year, St. Edward’s tied for 8th with St. Mary’s University, a Catholic university located in San Antonio with an enrollment rate of 75%. It is not uncommon for ties to appear on the ranking lists. 

“I don’t believe this reflects negatively on our school. It takes a lot of dedication by everyone in our community to realize this achievement,” Pinkenburg said.

“We’re very proud of our students and Hilltoppers are really the reason for what we do.”