Washington Monthly and Excelencia in Education have recognized Sul Ross State University as one of the top colleges and universities in economic mobility for Hispanic students in the nation.
SRSU is #9 among four-year institutions in the second annual edition of the Best Colleges for Hispanic Students. This analysis combines the accessibility focus of the Monthly’s college rankings with the deep knowledge that Excelencia has built over more than 20 years of listening to, learning from, and working with institutions.
In 2024, Sul Ross earned the Seal of Excelencia, a rigorous, student-centered, data-informed certification that holds colleges and universities accountable for showing momentum leading to continuous improvement in student outcomes. Institutions earn this standard of excellence through an intentional alignment of data, evidence-based practices and leadership, all resulting in student success. There are 45 institutions that have earned the seal, spanning three progressive levels of three-year certification: Certified, Recertified and Intentionally Thriving Institutions (ITIs).
“The Seal of Excelencia recognizes and drives excellence at institutions serving Latino students because intentional, mission-driven investment in serving this population ensures all of our students, communities and country are served,” Deborah Santiago, Excelencia in Education co-founder and CEO, said in a news release. “For students and families, the Seal is a clear signal that an institution creates the conditions needed for them to thrive before and beyond graduation. That’s why seal-certified institutions feature prominently in this year’s Best Colleges for Hispanic Students.”
Washington Monthly’s ranking focuses on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), using Excelencia’s data on the transfer and graduation rates of Latino students to provide unique insight. Excelencia gathers this information and more on institutional efforts and policies from the hundreds of institutions that apply for the Seal of Excelencia. To reflect those nuanced evaluations, the Monthly includes in its ranking whether an institution earned the seal. To those metrics, it adds two accessibility measures: net price (the annual amount students pay when factoring in aid), and the percentage of students who receive Pell Grants.
Colleges and universities that have earned the seal account for 34 of the top 100 two-year and four-year colleges and universities educating Latinos nationwide. Seal-certified institutions lead the nation in closing degree attainment gaps, representing less than one percent of colleges/universities yet graduating 17 percent of Latino, and 7 percent of students, overall.
