Trinity University is on the rise: This close-knit and multicultural institution in the heart of San Antonio, Texas, has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 40 liberal arts college in the nation for 2025. This ranking represents a 19-spot rise above our 2024 ranking at No. 59. And while this historic jump in our national ranking comes in our third year of classification as a baccalaureate liberal arts and sciences institution, the University sees this increase as a reflection of decades of unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student support.
This year, Trinity’s increased graduation rates drove the rise in the ranking, particularly due to our commitment to enrolling and graduating Pell-eligible students. Other factors that influenced our ranking included first-year retention rate; the quality of our student body as indicated by SAT and ACT scores; faculty salaries; and student-to-faculty ratio. And in further testament to Trinity’s transformative teacher-scholar model, the University was ranked No. 30 for Most Innovative Schools and No. 56 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among national liberal arts colleges, as well as No. 37 for Best Value Schools.
“This recognition is evidence of the dedication and hard work of every member of the Trinity community, and it sets us on a shared trajectory,” says Vanessa B. Beasley, Ph.D., president of Trinity University. “With even more focus and alignment, Trinity will continue to improve upon the well-rounded, interdisciplinary education we have always offered, one that prepares students for successful careers and meaningful lives.”
The recognition placed Trinity alongside Berea College, Spelman College, and Union College (NY), colleges that were also ranked No. 40. Trinity's Michael Neidorff School of Business is ranked No. 248 for Best Undergraduate Business Schools among more than 530 AACSB-accredited undergraduate business programs nationally. Additionally, Trinity’s engineering science program was lauded as No. 53 for Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs that do not offer doctoral degrees, placing the University in the top 20% of 286 U.S. universities with ABET-accredited undergraduate programs. Among schools that ranked in the top 50 for national liberal arts colleges, only three have ranked business and engineering programs: Trinity, the United States Air Force Academy, and Bucknell University.
"Our No. 40 ranking propels us well into the company of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges, all of which share a reputation for delivering the highest level of value in higher education,” says Ted Beneski P’11, P’14, chair of the Trinity University Board of Trustees.
USNWR’s 2025 rankings follow a trend for Trinity University this season: In early September, Forbes recognized Trinity as a Top 100 College in America after a 70-point jump to No. 95 in the nation, and the Princeton Review added Trinity to national lists for science facilities, health services, and student support and counseling.
“Every day, the Trinity community stands ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges, to do the hard work that changes our own lives and the lives of others,” President Beasley says. “We are prepared and eager to learn together, with and from each other, to continue striving to meet a higher standard.”