Excelencia in Education

Excelencia in Education The mission for Excelencia is supported through five core strategies:

1. Expand knowledge through research.

2. Apply action through programs.

4.

Excelencia informs, leads & accelerates higher education success for Latino students by providing data-driven analysis of the educational status of Latinos & by promoting education policies & institutional practices that support their academic achievement Build will for institutional and policy change.

3. Equip the field to excel.

5. Strengthen Excelencia's capacity.

Excelencia in Education believes colleges and universities have the opportunity — and responsibility — to share and lear...
08/26/2026

Excelencia in Education believes colleges and universities have the opportunity — and responsibility — to share and learn solutions that produce positive results for Latino, and all, students.

Excelencia in Education launched the Excelencia in Action (E-Action) network to support colleges and their leaders in embedding student-centered, data-informed improvement cycles into their strategies and practices. By engaging in the E-Action network, institutions like Kean University join like-minded practitioners with whom to leverage collective expertise and foster partnerships.

Learn how your institution can connect, learn, and grow with a national community committed to Latino, and all, student success. Unlock the power of the network → https://www.edexcelencia.org/leadership/excelencia-in-action

📣💻 FREE WEBINAR: Join Excelencia in Education and the Washington Monthly on September 2 at 2pm ET for our webinar, Beyon...
08/25/2026

📣💻 FREE WEBINAR: Join Excelencia in Education and the Washington Monthly on September 2 at 2pm ET for our webinar, Beyond the Rankings: Advancing Latino Student Success and Social Mobility.

For the second year, Excelencia in Education is collaborating with the Washington Monthly on the Best Colleges for Hispanic Students — highlighting higher education institutions that facilitate access to excellence for Latino and other post-traditional students.

Join us after the August 31 release for a discussion that looks beyond the rankings to examine what institutional excellence looks like in practice. The webinar will explore how colleges and universities that have earned the Seal of Excelencia for demonstrating continuous improvement in student outcomes are reinforcing higher education’s role as an engine of social mobility, economic vitality, and workforce development.

We’ll explore how institutions are:
🔹 Using data and evidence to better understand who they serve and inform action
🔹 Implementing student-centered, data-informed strategies that support success through degree completion and beyond
🔹 Applying the Seal of Excelencia framework to drive continuous improvement in student outcomes
🔹 Demonstrating impact by connecting institutional practices to student success and social mobility

Seal-certified institutions feature prominently in the 2026 ranking because they intentionally align data, evidence-based practices, and leadership to ensure their students thrive before and beyond graduation.

MODERATOR
Deborah Santiago, Co-founder and CEO, Excelencia in Education

SPEAKERS
Guy Bailey, President, UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Berenecea Johnson Eanes, President, California State University, Los Angeles
Madeline Pumeriega, President, Miami Dade College
Kainoa Lowman, Editor, Washington Monthly

👉 Register Now: https://edexcelencia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iAdhv_TKQN6HHjC59Oc2aQ

As Latino and other post-traditional students navigate an increasingly complex higher education landscape, committed ins...
08/25/2026

As Latino and other post-traditional students navigate an increasingly complex higher education landscape, committed institutions like Felician University are looking beyond access to prioritize pathways that lead to long-term student success.

In her new piece for Excelencia in Education's Voces y Excelencia: Leadership in Action series on Medium, Felician President Mildred Mihlon shares how the university is transforming to serve Latino, and all, students with intentionality and impact. As part of the national Excelencia in Action network, Felician has expanded the ways it supports Latino student success through institutional structures, policies, practices, and resource allocation — exemplified by the university's Fostering Inclusive Excellence for STEM Achievement (FIESTA) program.

Explore Felician University’s efforts to increase student access and success in STEM fields → https://excelenciaineducation.medium.com/strengthening-latino-student-success-in-stem-with-purpose-and-direction-96dc7235fbb5

Excelencia in Education's new Latino College Completion: United States 2026 analysis makes clear that when institutions ...
08/24/2026

Excelencia in Education's new Latino College Completion: United States 2026 analysis makes clear that when institutions implement evidence-based practices, they can improve outcomes for Latino, and all, students, close degree attainment gaps, and grow talent vital to our nation's future workforce.

Institutions that have earned the Seal of Excelencia show what’s possible. Though Seal-certified colleges and universities represent fewer than 1% of institutions nationwide, they graduate 17% of Latino students, and 7% of all students. These institutions also:
📈 Achieve higher retention rates for all undergraduates
🎓 Graduate Latinos at higher rates than the national average
👩‍🏫 Employ nearly 3x the Latino faculty representation of institutions nationwide

These outcomes aren’t accidental. They reflect intentionality in academic advising, guided pathways, transfer support, financial aid counseling, and career preparation — all designed around student success.

Scaling what works requires more than institutional action — it requires investment. See how state and federal policymakers can reinforce these efforts by supporting institutions, scaling effective practices, and expanding pathways to completion for Latino, and all, students → https://www.edexcelencia.org/latino-college-completion

Scaling evidence-based practices that produce positive results for Latino students in higher education takes intentional...
08/21/2026

Scaling evidence-based practices that produce positive results for Latino students in higher education takes intentionality, investment, and commitment to learning and sharing what works. That's why programs at colleges and universities across the country participate in Excelencia in Education's Examples of Excelencia.

Previously recognized as a Program to Watch through Examples, the College Access LatinX initiative (CALI) at Portland Community College has evolved on its journey and is today a finalist for the 2026 Examples of Excelencia in the issue area of Student Support. The CALI program not only provides Latino students with a culturally responsive to and through college — it offers a replicable, theory-informed framework for institutions seeking to move beyond access and design systems that improve student success.

Learn how the CALI program and others are growing with and contributing to a national community of practice through Examples of Excelencia → https://www.edexcelencia.org/what-works/examples-excelencia

08/20/2026

📣 Meet the 2026 Examples of Excelencia finalists in the issue area of Student Support!

These programs are intentionally serving Latino, and all, students by addressing access, retention, and academic advancement through evidence-based practices grounded in mentorship, academic support, and culturally responsive programming.

🔹 College Access Latinx Initiative (CALI) | Portland Community College (OR) | This program supports retention by guiding Latino and Indigenous students seeking to further their education, focusing on first year support and mentoring.
🔹 College Success Program | Latino Education Advancement Foundation (CA) | This program focuses on family engagement and first year support by providing multi-year wraparound support including guidance, financial aid, mentorship, and family engagement to help scholars enroll, persist, and thrive in college.
🔹 Early College | Austin Community College District (CA) | This four-year program supports access to higher education and focuses on college prep and dual credit, allowing high school students to earn college credit while finishing their high school diploma.
🔹 G-Force Work-Study Mentorship Program (TWU Go Program) | Texas Woman's University (TX) | This program supports retention by supporting college and high school students through mentorship, tutoring, and advising.
🔹 Honors Living-Learning Community | Rutgers University—Newark (NJ) | This program supports access to higher education and focuses on holistic student support by revolutionizing honors, cultivating talent, and engaging communities.
🔹 SOAR: Summer Orientation and Registration | Aurora University (IL) | This program focuses on first year support and aiding in retention by helping incoming freshman students prepare for their time on campus.

Explore how this year’s finalists are improving student success in higher education →
edexcelencia.org/what-works-examples-excelencia/examples-excelencia-finalists

🌟When colleges and universities engage in Excelencia in Education's national community of practice, they access models f...
08/19/2026

🌟When colleges and universities engage in Excelencia in Education's national community of practice, they access models for evidence-based programming that help them deliver meaningful outcomes for Latino, and all, students on their campuses.

At Governors State University, participation in Excelencia's capacity building opportunities and network has had a direct impact on student success initiatives. The university's high school outreach program, Puente a la Universidad, is just one example. Informed by Excelencia's focus on building pathways to and through college, the program is producing measurable results for for Latino and other post-traditional students at the start of their college journeys.

Intrigued by what Emmanuel Lopez, Director, Latinx Resource Center and Undocumented Student Liaison, has to say about how GovState is scaling what works in partnership with Excelencia? Strengthen your program’s impact → https://www.edexcelencia.org/what-works

08/18/2026

📣 Meet our 2026 Examples of Excelencia finalists in the issue area of Teaching and Learning!

These programs are advancing student success in higher education by cultivating belonging and elevating learning through evidence-based practices that focus on curriculum design, classroom engagement, and academic instruction.

📚 The Bridge-to-Math Doctorate Program | The University of Texas at Arlington (TX) | This two-semester program allows qualified bachelor’s degree holders to participate in preparatory coursework and mentoring for doctoral programs in mathematical sciences.

👩‍🏫 Student Experience Project Faculty Community of Practice | UTSA - The University of Texas at San Antonio (TX) | This multi-institutional, national initiative focuses on faculty development and supports retention. The program fosters engaging learning environments and concentrates on enhancing community building and growth mindset.

Discover how these programs are expanding opportunity for Latino, and all, students → edexcelencia.org/what-works-examples-excelencia/examples-excelencia-finalists

08/17/2026

🌟What happens when institutions partner with Excelencia in Education?

More than 140 colleges and universities across the country have chosen to collaborate with Excelencia and with each other through the Excelencia in Action (E-Action) network, progressing their journeys to become places where Latino, and all, students thrive. Each institution is unique, and they come to us for tailored support that helps them build capacity, intentionality, and impact so they can ensure access to excellence for every student they serve.

You don't have to take our word for it. Take it from the leaders and practitioners who are making transformation happen on their campuses. In the coming weeks, we'll share their testimonios about how engaging with Excelencia has made a lasting, positive difference for their students and communities.

Ready to see what's possible for your institution? Achieve your next level of excellence → https://www.edexcelencia.org/

08/14/2026

🔔 Meet our 2026 Examples of Excelencia finalists in the issue area of Career and Workforce!

These programs are creating pathways to economic mobility through student-centered, culturally responsive approaches that connect students to meaningful career opportunities, including experiential learning, mentorship, and alumni engagement.

🎓Blue Chip Leadership Experience | The University of Arizona (AZ) | The four-year program focuses on mentoring and leadership development, supporting retention and preparing students for careers.
🏥Nursing BSN Bridge | San Antonio College (TX) | The program allows registered nurses to earn a bachelor's degree in one year or less while continuing to work, offering dual credit opportunities.
🩺Spanish for Global Health and Human Services | The University of Texas at Arlington (TX) | The program prepares future healthcare providers with a focus on Bilingual/ESL education, strengthening the workforce pipeline.

Learn more about this year’s finalists and how they’re intentionally investing in evidence-based practices that address changing student needs and workforce demands →
edexcelencia.org/what-works-examples-excelencia/examples-excelencia-finalists

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