Reviews

Thanks to St. Edward's I have learned very much, and it is not just in the academic realm. Being a student at St. Edward's gives you a chance to learn about others, especially because of the small town feel that makes the campus a community. The student population as a whole is very diverse, and although the university is Roman Catholic, it is in no way populated with only Roman Catholics. Due to this, I have learned cultural aspects and how to have relationships with individuals different from myself in a way I have never been able to before. In the classroom, I am constantly challenged by the wonderful professors and also with peers in my classroom. It is a very welcoming learning environment, and for me St. Edward's really helps nurture my learning by allowing me the opportunity to be in a small class size where my teacher knows ME as a person. Professors are willing to help, listen, and support their students which really encourages me to learn. But, the greatest thing I have learned is to give back to others, and St. Edward's allows many opportunities through Campus Ministry. Alternative Spring Break is a fantastic learning experience that enables the volunteer to dedicate their spring break to one of many service experience sites. You learn so much from being immersed in another's culture and lifestyle that I would have to say this is St. Ed's greatest attribute to student learning.

I am finishing up my second year at St. Edward's, and I absolutely love it here. I can honestly say that I did consider transferring after my freshman year, but I am so very happy I gave it one more chance. The small school size is what attracted me to begin with, and I have come to embrace and love this fact more and more. The more hours you have taken, the harder the class become and I am very thankful to be able to take these classes in a small environment with professors that CARE. Another big ammenity I love is that I feel secure at all times due to constant UPD surveillance. Now that I have been here for almost 2 complete years, and I have done projects and become involved with activities, I know quite a few people around campus and it is awesome being able to walk through campus and say hey to people you know. In general (there are always the few that do not fit this statement), every one is nice and very friendly here... even the cafeteria workers! This year has been delightful for me.

Yes, St. Edward's is expensive, but when you look at all that you receive, I think it is worth the price. If you have just started looking at the price, do not immediately cross off St. Ed's for their price - they offere quite a few scholarships and grants. The school is very nice, and very clean. The professors are unbelievably helpful. The class size is a major plus. Campus UPD is constantly surveilling the campus. The biggest drawback for the price is the food offered... it is quite a bit pricy. You pay for small size, a nice atmosphere, and for a private college, and you get more than you realize. When you turn into St. Edward's it is like you are turning into a section of Austin that is it's own community, all green and clean, and that is something I am willing to pay for.

Once you get here, get involved! Do not be intimidated; everyone truly wants you to get involved. When you have classes, do not be afraid to talk/ask your professor anything. Get out of your shell - meet others. Keep up with your grades... even though Austin offers a lot of freedom and opportunity, especially with Barton Springs right down the street, do not neglect your school work. A big tip I personally can share is make sure you park in the correct area and always display your parking tag.

St. Edward's is great for religious studies, but also for any artsy people. St. Edward's keeps an Austin wierdness about it, so if you do not fit in at the moment, you can probably fit in here just by being different. St. Edward's is also very big on giving back, so if you love to volunteer or help others they offer many opportunities. St. Edward's is very welcoming to any student, and if you are curious if you would fit in just come and see it! They allow you to stay the night with a student, and love to give tours!

St. Edward's University is a diverse campus focused on preparing students for life after college. Their focus on social justice and service outreach allows each student to become more than just their declared major. St. Edward's is about the student and providing as many opportunities to help them excel in their future careers.

For prospective students, definitely make time to visit campus. Visiting campus allows you to get a better feel for what the university has to offer. Plan to at least sit in on a class or do an overnight stay to see how comfortable you would feel being a student there. Do not be afraid to set up an appointment with admissions to ask them any questions about campus or what you can do to get in as that is what they are there for! They will gladly assist you on making this important decision. Start looking at course catalogs to see the variety of classes they offer to find something that interests you as well.

The academic rigor of St. Edward's is challenging, but manageable. Classes build upon one another to continue learning about the topic and ultimately prepare you for your last semesters on campus. Science and math classes are just as challenging as english and history classes. Each major has their demanding courses to no one is left out hard classes. A lot of reading is expected for many courses, and most courses throughout each major are content heavy so you begin to learn about your field as early as your freshman year. Classes are small and can range upwards of 30 students. The largest class you will experience is the mandatory freshman studies seminar of your choice, and even then the class size is no more than 150 students.

Dorm life on campus is great. Each residence hall has their own personality and feel to offer. They offer communities to be apart of and the memories you make last a life time. The RAs in each hall work hard by putting on programs in their respective halls to bring their residents together. Generally, everyone is eager to see how other people have decorated their dorms and that is a great way to make friends on your hall. Everyone is very nice and easy to get along with.

There is something for everyone to eat on campus, whether you prefer traditional American food or you are a vegan. There are two main dining halls, Hunt Hall and Ragsdale. There is also The Huddle, which offers barbecue and a Chipotle-like style of Mexican food. The food is very good and is made fresh daily from scratch. There is alwasys plenty to choose from whenever you get hungry. St. Edward's is known for using sustainable ingredients, which means that most of their ingredients come from a 150-mile radius, keeping the food fresh and healthy. St. Edward's also offers two on-campus coffee shops through local coffee shop Jo's Coffee, and Starbucks Coffee is served in Hunt Hall alongside a bakery.

St. Edward's is conveniently located on Austin's extremely popular South Congress Avenue. South Congress offers a unique taste of Austin with many food trailers and trucks, thrift stores, and novelty stores. You are also not far away from the scenic greenbelt that runs through South Austin. St. Edward's is located near four very popular and beautiful entrances. A direct bus route takes you to the Texas State Capital. Many students take advantage of swimming at Barton Springs Pool or kayaking and canoeing on Lady Bird Lake that runs through downtown Austin. There are many yearly festivals that students flock to to have fun. Austin is surrounded by many camp grounds, coffee shops, eclectic stores, and great places to shop and eat.

With tuition and fees upwards of $40,000+ a year, you will get a lot out of your choice of attending St. Edward's as long as you stay active and engaged. It is true that you get out of something the amount you put into it, and that rings very true in this instance. If you want to be a number at a big school, do not waste your time here. Each student receives personal attention to help guide them along the way. For the location, size, and rigor, St. Edward's has a lot to offer, and is a great investment.

St. Edward's is positioned on top of the second highest peak in Austin. The hill that campus sits on is an ancient volcano. Right outside the main building is a pretty spectacular view of downtown Austin, and is featured on many local websites for one of the best places to view Austin. Campus has also become home to a hoard of squirrels, cats, and rabbits to look out at night. A widely known fact about St. Edward's is that some of its buildings are haunted. The Hilltopper Tales are shared at every orientation, which are the various ghost stories surrounding various oddities that happen on and around campus. They are pretty entertaining stories, and has even prompted a ghost hunting club if you are interested in joining!

Students who are looking to become well rounded and experience more than just what their major has to offer apply here! St. Edward's is extremely focused on their idea of social justice and service outreach. If you like volunteering, then there are many opportunities to serve throughout the year. It is a very social campus since it has around 5,000+ students, so everyone gets to know everyone due to its small campus and small class size. Personally, I was shy in high school but attending St. Edward's really pushed me out of my shell and made me feel comfortable to pursue new friends.

For being a small school, St. Edward's does offer many clubs to chose from based on your interests. As incoming freshman, a survey you fill out during orientation helps to match you to clubs that you might be interested in. Also, Student Life helps to put on an involvement fair in the fall and spring semesters that allow students to explore the variety of clubs offered by St. Edward's. The University Planning Board puts on a variety of events each semester, and each residence hall has many activities. Each year, Residence Life puts on Hall Olympics which brings the campus together.

Unfortunately, St. Edward's does not offer your traditional greek life. If this is extremely important to you and your college experience, then you may want to explore your search. There are about five or six organizations that are co-ed academic fraternities that include theater, business, psychology, and even a service oriented frat. Many fraternities and sororities at the University of Texas at Austin recognize that St. Edward's does not offer the traditional greek life, so they leave space open for hilltoppers to rush alongside longhorns. Some students choose to go this route their freshman year.

St. Edward's is a very safe campus. UPD patrols constantly throughout campus on bike, golf cart, and car making sure no suspicious activity is going on. That being said, use good judgement in your activities. They have been known to patrol certain parts of campus heavily if that area presents itself as a challenge. UPD is extremely helpful however, and work alongside the residence halls to keep students informed about anything going on around campus. They also use Twitter and Facebook to keep students connected that way.

An incredibly beautiful school with a rich, proud history. Small, with attention payed to every student. A bit expensive, but well worth the money.

I would suggest to build up scholarship money early for this school, and also make sure you take your education very seriously, but most of all I would recommend keeping an open mind and heart: be expected to encounter diversity.

This is not by any means an easy A school, nor is it a school that one would expect to go through without being social. The school focuses on teaching its students to broaden their horizons as well as concentrate on their intended major. To put it in the words of their motto: St. Edward's teaches you how to think.

Be expected to involve yourself in community and campus projects for in-class grades, do competitive group projects, and dabble in subjects that are not so readily related to your major. This school makes it a point to step students out of their comfort zone of learning.

Based on what I have encountered, dorm life is as hectic as one would expect from any college, the dorm I lived in had small rooms, as well as community bathrooms. More expensive dorms can range from suites to even on-campus apartments, some of the buildings are very beautiful: with gardens, rec rooms and even the occasional piano.

The RA of each dorm will also host activities for the residents, allowing even the most homework-bogged of students to have something to do when they have free time. The RA of each wing are also very kind, helpful individuals who are willing to assist students with problems concerning roommates or maintenance problems.

The problem I have with dorms on campus is that sometimes there aren't very accurate presentations of how the rooms are organized on the school website, and sometimes a student might find themselves disappointed with the results.

The food at St. Edward's comes from local farmers and growers, significantly lowering the impact on the environment, while also providing very healthy choices in diet. There is food ranging from Texas Grill to Japanese Sushi, and a wide array of options are available to vegans and vegetarians as well as anyone with a sweet-tooth.

The only problem I do have with dining is the hours -- vacation hours for cafeterias are sometimes rather small or non existent on some days, I would press future students to invest in bringing a small fridge to hold extra food in if they aren't going home over break.

St. Edward's hosts an array of events throughout the year to keep any on-campus student engaged. There are plays, lectures, guests, (i.e. comedians, actors, writers, etc.) holiday events, and even concerts held on campus throughout the year.

I would say this is one of the most wonderful colleges I have ever seen and experienced, just walking on campus itself is worth the money spent to go here. With people to help every step along the way, there isn't a doubt about one's future going to this school.

I would give a gentle warning to those coming in that tuition to this school is very expensive, as well as on-campus living. If you are not a particularly social student, or a student that is looking for a smooth ride through their subject, I would suggest picking a different school.

The most unusual traditions I have experienced are the ghost stories passed down to incoming freshmen on orientation -- which do keep the new undergraduates on edge -- and the long kept tradition of not walking on the College seal that rests behind one of the cafeterias on campus.

Stray cats can be found wondering campus grounds during the day, and are rather friendly to the students and faculty -- they were originally found during the construction of one of the newer buildings, and are fed through the generosity of donations from students and visitors.

Another perk is part of the campus is a very large nature preserve, and is fairly unusual for most colleges -- however taking a stroll through it every once and while is rather fun, and just adds to the overall beauty.

For a student that is unsure of their future, and looking for a college where they won't fall through the cracks, this is a college that I would recommend. Those who are also looking for a bit of history and beauty in their time spent in school would also appreciate St. Edward's.

Those who are also interested in the sciences will appreciate the award-winning science program at St. Edwards, as well as the (soon to be) newly upgraded building with the latest in technology for researching students.

The sheer number of clubs on campus is astounding: interests from social activism, political party activism, to just enjoyable hobbies are available. (And of course, an array of sports clubs to join for those who are interested!) There are not any restrictions to what clubs can be joined -- anything can be signed up for once a freshman walks in the door. Activities are also just as numerous -- campus is usually alive with something to do on any given day.

From what I have seen there doesn't seem to be too much activity regarding Greek Life. Then again, with my course load there isn't a particularly large amount of time for such activities.

The University Police Department is on constant patrol around campus, and have emergency call boxes set up in public areas. Escorts for students are also available at night if one does not wish to walk by themselves. All dorms and some other buildings are only accessible by student I.D. -- surveillance in these buildings is also very heavy on the perimeter and lobby.

Saint Edwards provides a diverse cultural atmosphere that allows for a more unique growth throughout the college experience. The university is smaller than most providing students with a more intimate relationships with fellow students and staff. The professors at St. Edwards are invaluable, and go out of their way to help their students understand the material being discussed.

The work load of any major can become overwhelming compared to state schools, but the unique opportunities and services St. Edwards offer in conjunction help alleviate the stress.

Dorm life is hard to explain. Specific dorms offer specific experiences. The hall I stayed in freshman year provided me with many friendships and precious memories that I will always cherish.

The food on campus is very expensive if you do not have any meal plan, but the food is a lot more healthy and appetizing than most of the other state schools I have visited. The only negative I would present is the inability of some of the kitchen staff to cook any meat all the way. There have been many times where I have received an uncooked piece of chicken or beef, but I believe this might be due to the cooks feeling rushed. Overall the food is delicious.

St. Edwards is in Austin, Texas so there is plenty to do off campus. Most students enjoy the nightlife Austin has to offer Thursday through Sunday. There are also many opportunities for outdoor adventures as well as casual dining and shopping along South Congress and the drag, and St. Edwards is right in the middle of it all.

It makes me cringe to see anyone walk across our seal (located in the center of campus) because it is a tradition to walk around it. The reason most people fear touching the seal is because of the curse it holds. Any student that walks across the seal has never been able to finish the academic year nor graduate.

Greek life is absent from St. Edwards, and most students will agree that they want to keep it that way. We pride ourselves on not being involved in Greek life, and in my experiences I believe as a community we are stronger for it.

St Edward's has the most caring and amazing professors. It is a close-knit community that is mostly good, but can be bad (depending on how you choose to live). Everyone is committed to something and it's easy to get involved--on-campus or off.

Ask for more money.

Easy classes, lots of busywork.

RAs will do anything for you. There are always things to do in dorms!

We have two separate cafeterias and 3 coffee shops--there's something for everyone.

If you go here, you live in Austin, Texas, one of the coolest places in the world.

LGBTQ (They call us the closet on the hill), hipsters, people who want to study abroad, people who love service, people who want a family more than a strict school

There's something for everyone.

Culturally diverse environment. Professors are easy to talk to outside of class. Everyone is willing to help you if you just ask.

Get involved in everything and anything you can it will be worth it. You meet so many people this way.

Classes are hard but manageable if you look for help when need it.

Everyone seems nice and you get to meet so many people if you are willing to go and interact with them.

The food is great here. There are many places you can go to eat.

Theres plenty you can do. You can go downtown and enjoy what ever events Austin has to offer on those days. You can go for hikes and runs on campus or out as well.

The school is pretty expensive but totally worth it. They are an internationally recognized school. You have so many options to study abroad. As well as meet new people from all over the world.

They buildings are said to be haunted by the people who have tragically died there.

Great for the type of school who likes small campuses. That likes to know the professors one on one.

So many activities you can do and so many more clubs you can join and if they don't have a club you want to join you can definitely make it. You just have to be able to get people to join.

There is not really a greek life in St.Edward's however if you do want to join greek life I have been told that you can join them at UT.

There are police cars who monitor the streets at all times.

Open minded school that helps students grow academically.

Make sure you realized the tuition will increase at a rate higher than current inflation. Don't go if you can't afford it!

It is not easy. Most classes require a lot of writing, especially Capstone. It is crucial that you are a good writer.

I did not live in dorm life.

Expensive but many different options including organics and local food. Jo's coffee shop is also included in the meal plan and provides many options for delicious drinks and food.

Nightlife, outdoor activities, shopping

Depends on who you ask...

Many different cultures are represented here.

Global Studies students are encouraged

St. Edwards does supply classes to it students that will challenge them. They want to make sure that their students to whatever they can to be successful, so they offer a lot of resources that will help you do that.

Dorms are small or large depending on where you live. My rational is that you will not be spending all your time in a dorm so it is okay if you pick one that is not that fabulous. The dorms enough space for two people to not feel smothered which is nice. There is a space to socialize with friends with a game room and kitchen to cook for you or your friends.

After visiting campus, I realized that I would never go hungry! If you cannot find something to eat on campus you can definitely find something near by. Literally a walk away!

Although this is an expensive campus, it is worth it! I have researched St. Edward's holistically and it has the academic classes that are well worth your money. They are ranked #15 in the west which is pretty good! The city is also are great place to be in because there are a variety of things to do. If you want to stay on campus, there are a variety of clubs and activities to get involved in. A college counselor gave me a sheet that had a plethora of things to do. I was speechless. Overall, it is amazing!

It is great for the type of student that wants a small campus feel. If you like small classes where you are known and are able to communicate to your teacher this is the place for you. They have classes that are less than 20 students per class. If you want a environment that is very relaxed and quiet, St. Edwards can also offer that.

The city is a great place to be in because there are a variety of things to do. You can go run, eat, shop, row a boat, dance, bowl, and plenty of other activities. If you want to stay on campus, there are a variety of clubs and activities to get involved in. A college counselor gave me a sheet that had a plethora of things to do. I was speechless. Overall, it is amazing!

St. Edward's is definitely what I consider a diamond hidden under burnt orange. It's in Austin, Texas (huge music scene), nontraditional, and a melting pot of people. I love that I learn something new every single day

You want to do well in high school -- the better the grades, the better chance you'll get grants/scholarships. Volunteer! Show them you can be a leader too, they love that. And just realize you're not in high school anymore, in high school I never had to study but as soon as college hit I was studying every night so don't go in thinking you'll have it easy from the get-go.

Wonderful teach/student dynamic. They encourage students to meet with them as much as possible and because professors are required to have office hours they can't say no if you ask to meet with them. They make time to help. This also means there are some difficult times ahead, I'm not going to sugar-coat the work you have to complete. As long as you pay attention and ask for help when you need it you'll do very well.
And allow me to just add that in 2010, every single student who applied for Med School after attending St. Edward's got in. 100% of those that applied. They will make sure you know you're stuff before you leave their school with a BA.

SO. MUCH. FUN. I loved living on-campus. There's always something to do or someone to see, the RA's have events every month, sometimes twice. There are 6 residence halls incoming freshmen can choose from and all of them have different personalities and prices. The more recent/modern halls are more expensive. I lived in the cheapest hall and had a blast. Teresa hall was very social and we were like our own little family, I traded the nice furniture for the company that T-Hall gave me.

The food is great, St. Ed's is catered by Bon Appetit which is an Austin company that gets it's food from Austin farmers. So very local and fresh. There are two major dining facilities with vegetarian, sushi, pasta/pizza, salad bar & station, sandwich station (like subway), and an entree which changes every day.

There's always something going on on campus. Whether it's a sports event, huge movie showing, conferences, homecoming, watch fireworks, the dorm events, etc. And did I mention they're free? Awesooome.
Also it's Austin-freakin-Texas. Music, everywhere music. Go to concerts, walk down South Congress on First Thursday, go to 6th street and bump into celebrities. I do not work to advertise St. Ed's -- what I'm telling you is real, coming from a student going to St. Edward's. I love this school and everything it brings.

All students. St. Ed's is Catholic but they don't require anyone to be Catholic or do anything Catholic. They don't require students to go to Mass or volunteer. Those things are incredibly available but it's up to the student. They only thing they have you do is take a single religious studies course or philosophy course. Easy and simple.
And it could be anything, there's even a Harry Potter class... no joke.

There are over 90+ organizations on campus. I volunteer as a tour guide (hence why I know so much about the school). And if you can't find club for you, you can always make your own. Like the M.EA.T. club (Men Eating Animals Together) and the vegetarian club. lol

There isn't a Greek life scene on campus. Students are allowed to go to UT and be apart of their Greek life if they wish.

We have our own UPD. 12 full fledged Austin PD officers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

St. Edward's is a private Catholic university that is able to focus its attention on each student individually because of its small class sizes. There are many events on campus that follow and raise awareness about current events as well as multicultural issues. Diversity is a big factor as this university has many international students and is located in the heart of Austin, Texas.

Unlike most universities, this campus has professors that expect their students to attend class on a regular basis, mainly because class sizes are roughly twenty students at most, so your presence is noticed and appreciated. Most professors expect in class participation and discussion, not only with them but with your other classmates as well. Another big thing for this university is volunteering, they love to host events for students to volunteer in and when applying, it looks good to have participated in volunteering. Although this is a Catholic school, it is also a liberal arts one. While they do have a religious background, they do not require that you attend mass or participate in any religious events of any particular affiliation. They do require that you take one class on religion, however they offer many topics that range from Catholicism to Religion in Harry Potter.

St. Edward's is a smaller campus so you therefore have smaller class sizes. As a result of this, you are able to talk more with your professors and classmates about questions that you have on certain subjects. Professors also like in class participation, so there is an opportunity to ask questions when you have them. I would say that the classes are a bit challenging, but it is not something to be afraid of because there are so many resources available to assist you. Such as the writing and math centers that we have on campus.

The campus has several housing options and as a Freshman you are required to live on campus unless you live in Austin. As a Freshman you will be living in a Freshmen-only dormatory, of which there are four. Teresa Hall is the dorm in which I stayed, it is one of the cheaper ones for girls next to East Hall which is an all girls dorm. Teresa's rooms are a bit smaller than the schools website made them seem, but you get used to it as you continue to live there. Honestly, I was told and I agree that Teresa is probably one of the best dorms to live in, mostly because of the fact that is it such a social environment. Yet it is not too social to the point where it is distracting. You even have other students from other dorms coming to hang out in Teresa. People are more friendly here so making friends is not that difficult, even if you are a quieter person. This dorm is also getting remodeled to have tile floors and new cabinets, desks and closets. Teresa also has some of the best RAs.

Food at St. Edward's tastes really good the first time you are here, but it doesn't change often so if you get bored of the same thing quickly then you might be in trouble. They cook it well and it tastes good, so the food's not bad, it's just that it doesn't change very much so there isn't much variety. There are two dining halls, Hunt and Ragsdale and then you have The Huddle which is a Tex-Mex food place. There is also a little convenient store called Outtakes which is located in Hunt.

St. Edward's is located about ten minutes away from downtown Austin, which keeps you at a close enough distance to have fun, but still be able to come back and focus on school in a quieter environment. We are also located near University of Texas at Austin, so whenever they host events you are able to go and join them. Austin has little shops here and there which are good to go explore in, especially one called Lucy in Disguise which is an incredible costume shop. Austin is a musical and different city which is always fun to explore. They also have First Thursday which is a monthly event where people set up boutiques and sell many of their hand-crafted items. Some other fun things are the food trailers that Austin has, ranging from things in crepes, cupcakes, donuts, to bananas.

Don't buy a shirt. If you plan on attending this college, then don't buy a shirt at the campus store. You get shirts here like crazy. I was told before that they hand out shirts for anything and everything, they were right. Every event, every club, you can bet you'll get a shirt for it. Especially for their events. It is actually pretty awesome. They give out other smaller items as well, but shirts are one of the main things, along with raffles.

There are so many clubs and activities to choose from on this campus, although we don't have any sororities or fraternities. Honestly there are too many clubs to name but in the beginning of each semester they host an event where all the clubs set up booths and you can take a look around and join some. Many of their events are about volunteering or sharing in multi-cultural experiences / traditions.

Campus safety is something that you don't really have to worry about here, mostly because it is pretty safe. There aren't really any reports of crime, violence or theft on campus and we have our University Police Department (UPD).