Student Success
We know that your decision to attend college will require hard work and sacrifice on the part of you and your family/support system.
More Americans 25 or older than ever hold a bachelor’s degree (33.4%) — but only 20% who begin college earn their degree in four years or less.
Yes, college may be more difficult than you expect. We try to anticipate all the academic, personal and professional support you will need to achieve success.
Plan to Succeed
Making a good college choice requires more than a few mouse clicks or an afternoon campus visit. Talk with your family, friends, high school teachers and counselors. Consider these tips:
- Understand what it means to be responsible for your own life in college.
- Know your motivation level.
- Make an academic and financial plan — setbacks can happen.
- Accept full responsibility for your success.
What a college degree pays:
| Less than a high school diploma | $33,800 |
|---|---|
| High school graduate, no college | $46,228 |
| Some college, no degree | $51,324 |
| Associate degree (occupational program) | $51,168 |
| Associate degree (academic program) | $53,040 |
| Bachelor’s degree | $82,160 |
| Master’s degree | $94,640 |
| Doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D.) | $123,084 |
| Professional degree (e.g., M.D., J.D.) | $135,668 |
UIW Success Stats
- UIW ranks No. 1 nationally among Catholic universities in conferring the most bachelor’s degrees to Hispanics.
- UIW Division I teams include 148 student-athletes who qualified for the 2018 Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
San Antonio: A Great Place to Begin
- San Antonio’s low unemployment rate of 3.2%, combined with cost of living 7% below the national average, has created a strong economy.
- San Antonio has gained more than 55,000 jobs in the past four years.
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs in the San Antonio region have grown by 29% since 2001, three times the national average, faster than San Francisco or New York.
Your Big Idea Rewarded
UIW’s Startup Competition pays a winning prize of $10,000.
Submit a social innovation or business model that addresses problems on a global scale (healthcare, healthy food, electricity), explores international or cross-border opportunities, or offers value/wealth creation for people living below the poverty line.
Mentors Model Success
UIW’s Cardinal-Latina-Mentorship-Program creates a bridge between Latina leaders within the community and emerging Latina leaders.
The inaugural (2015/2016) cohort of Cardinal Latina mentees showed 100% retention and an average GPA of 3.03.
San Antonio and Central/South Texas offer a world of opportunity, from Computer Information System and Cybersecurity jobs with military and private defense firms, to bilingual firms serving traditional and digital media, to emerging animation and game design studios.
“I encourage everyone to find a mentor – someone who challenges you to believe in yourself.”
~ Raquel Kasprzyk, ’18 Cinematic Animator, Sony Entertainment
Demand for content, design and computing/security skills remains very high, especially in media and technology hubs like Southern California, Washington, D.C. and Boston. Texas marked 25 months of consecutive growth in 2018, with clusters of both media and cybersecurity growth in San Antonio and Austin.
UIW graduates excel on the state teacher certification exams, posting an overall 98% pass rate (2017-2018). We support young teachers beyond graduation with the UIW Teacher Network, which supports graduates through their first three years of teaching following initial certification
- 7,000 patients: UIW Global Health Missions
- 1,000 hours: Orientation Week Service Projects
- 150: UIW Service Initiatives
- 45 service hours: Per UIW undergraduate
Many Windows, One Light
Your journey to becoming a concerned and enlightened citizen involves joining students of all faith traditions to advance mutual understanding, self-realization, the discovery of truth and the common good.
Together, you explore issues of social justice, engage in service and define a role for yourself in creating a more just and sustainable world. Along the way, you gain appreciation and respect for the dignity of all human beings.
- Cardinal Global Ambassadors
- Word In Action Day
- Meet the Mission Day
- Cardinal Community Leader
- Cardinal-Latina-Mentorship-Program
Mission Matters Here
University of the Incarnate Word asks you to translate your connection to truth, spirit and faith — whatever its tradition – into meaningful action on campus, in the community and throughout the world.
Each undergraduate student commits to giving at least 45 hours to service projects: with schools, social justice organizations, food banks, homeless shelters, disaster relief, health education, environmental remediation, animal welfare and immersion experiences in the United States, Central and South America and beyond.
At UIW, all students write and reflect about their service with the goal of making service a life-long commitment.