South Texas College has earned the top spot in the nation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the Washington Monthly 2025 College Rankings report.

Since 2005, Washington Monthly has ranked colleges based on their contributions to the country in three areas: social mobility, research and promoting public service. This year, in collaboration with Excelencia in Education, it also ranked how well Hispanic-Serving Institutions like STC, are serving this increasing population.

“This ranking affirms STC’s commitment to providing access, opportunity and excellence for the students and communities we serve,” said STC President Ricardo J. Solis. “As a proud HSI, our goal is to always empower our Hispanic population, and all students, with the education, skills and innovation needed to transform their lives and our region. On behalf of STC’s administration and Board of Trustees, we are deeply honored that STC has been recognized as No. 1.”

STC, with a Hispanic student population of 95 percent, boasts a Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education, earning a recertification from the national, nonprofit organization in 2022 and a ranking for its high performance in serving a large Hispanic population, being named the No. 3 college nationwide and No. 1 in Texas for enrolling and graduating Latinos.

STC has also been recognized for fostering partnerships across the border with its neighbors in Mexico, providing education and training to schools and factories.

“Being an HSI is more than just a designation for STC, it’s our identity; it’s who we are,” said STC Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Matthew Hebbard.

According to an August 2025 Washington Monthly report, Hispanic students make up 80 percent of increases in degree attainment between 2017 and 2022, with an expected number of Hispanic high school graduates to increase up to 16 percent by 2041.