St Edward’s University

This school is shady and a SCAM! The facilities are a joke. There is only one shower in the gym. One freaking shower!!! The school doesn’t even have a rec-​center for the students to do fun things. The library is an embarrasment! The people who work there don’t even know how to work their own equipment!!! The so-​called gym is a joke. The students are arrogant, racist, and stuck up. The school overcharges everything. I brought 3 books for $ 700. Don’t believe the positive reviews, they are probably students who work for the school. The faculty is arrogant and don’t care about the students. They just want your money. It’s shocking that this school costs more than University of Texas!!! One shower in the whole gym. Unbelievable!!!

Okay, I love this school. Don’t get me wrong. But I just paid $ 12 for a regular chicken salad sandwich on regular sliced bread and the cheapest juice on the shelf. What. Charging students this much for their food is highway robbery.

OMG Becca may, the front desk worker for residence life, is such a helper. She fixed my glasses.

I love my university.
I work at UT Austin, but I am in grad school at St. Edward’s, and I have to say, I’m impressed. The grounds are beautiful, the buildings are all rather grand, and it just feels so absolutely collegiate. When I walk around at UT, it feels like walking around a corporation, and maybe it’s because I work there. SEU, however, just seems like a great place to learn. I’m such a nerd.
The library is gorgeous and well-​equipped with nice computers, printing, group collaboration space, and study areas. The student center has a nice cafeteria and a Jo’s Coffee. The main building is the stunning building that most people think of when they think of St. Ed’s, and the view from the front porch is outstanding. All of the Austin skyline right there.
I’ve had great interactions with all the faculty and staff there, and I like my classmates. Not much else to say. It’s a great university, especially for working professionals.
Also, don’t walk on the seal.

This place if pretty. I have trained Parkour here several times and the place just keeps getting prettier and prettier. They even got a whole bunch of new buildings now.
I have a friend that goes to this university. A bit of hipster and always tells me exactly how he feels about everything and he thinks the place is pretty decent. He is getting a degree is business music. I don’t know how many universities have a degree in business music, but it seems like not many. Especially if its a private college.
I heard really good things about campus ministry on campus as well. I just went to a veterans meeting and there were 3 out of the 7 staff present of a very small welcome meeting, so that says a lot about the university. Also, it was his 3^rd event that day. Seems like there is always a lot of things going on on campus and if you get with the right people even more things.
Oh and each year they have a theater garage sale, where they sell off a bunch of the costumes and things, which is pretty fun. I got a wizard robe and now wear it for my house robe… so much win.
So, I dont like the parking situation and its really hard to get around on campus, not a lot of signs saying, if you are a visitor to do this, or to do that, so beware of getting a ticket on campus.
I got to visit their computer labs as well, and they are always getting new computer stuff, pretty nice in my opinion.

I’ve graduated twice from St. Edward’s and spent most of my life in higher education so I really have nothing but good things to say about this university. I actually spent quite a few years working at UT before I ever attended school as a student. The first time I ever visited the SEU campus, I was amazed by how different the environment was. They actually have staff and faculty who enjoy going to work in the morning, something unheard of at UT at the time.
The faculty were supportive and even today, many years after graduation I can still count on them for advice and recommendations. The class sizes were always really small and convenient. The faculty are really devoted to teaching there.
The price is steep but there is financial aid for those with minimal income. At the time, I had very little income coming in (UT employee and all). I never went a semester without a scholarship or grant. The financial office was always finding new sources and the VA officer helped me with my military tuition assistance.
The alumni office also used to have a lot of fun events every month although there hasn’t been much going on lately that I have been able to find out about. Hopefully, that picks up again soon. The campus is also getting much more crowded than when I was a student but it seems to be manageable growth.
The other advantage when I was an undergrad is that they were really good at taking alternative credits. I took a ton of placement tests and basically tested out of my first two years of college. No other schools around would even come close to that, and it really cut my cost of attendance down quite a bit. I also like that they are quite stable in their national rankings. They certainly aren’t as high as I would like but they are doing better than most universities in the area (except UT and A&M of course).
I recently moved back to the neighborhood to take a faculty job at another university in town so I had a chance to go back onto campus. I needed to order transcripts and was pleased to see that they were still free. That was actually one of the things I really liked when I was a student there and I hope it hasn’t changed: The tuition was more than UT, but that was the only thing you had to pay (except for a parking permit). UT will nickel and dime you to death with fees for everything conceivable. At SEU, all you paid was the advertised tuition and everything else was included.
Most of the negative reviews I am reading here seem to be from some pretty highly emotional and immature types. As a professor for ten years at other universities I do see these a lot. If you are not ready to be a university student, please don’t blame the university. Take some time off to work and come back to school when you are ready for it. I didn’t start school until I was 23 and out of the military and it made a world of difference to come into it with a bit of added maturity. I don’t think I ever would have made it through if I started college as an 18 year-​old.

As a transfer from another university, this was the biggest mistake I ever made. Yes the community is somewhat friendly but the university within itself is very condescending. From the faculty, higher ups to the policies in place to ‘protect’ students. This is not a Holy Cross community and puts Catholics to shame.

Oh man. I can review my college education?! Great — let me tell you right now to listen to your inner voice when it says «transfer…transferrr…transferrrrrr». First off, I decided on St. Ed’s when I was a freshman in HS because of the funny «learn to think» commercials. I should have known better than to attend a university for the commercial. I should have transferred to UT after my freshman year since I got in, but I was honestly too scared of the size. I’ll start off with the good things, then tell the bad.
GOOD
— Me and another student worked together to develop a committee that created the first ever official St. Edward’s class ring– that’s pretty bad ass :)
— The best thing about Steds is the class sizes. In my psychology & communication classes, I never had more than 25 students in one class (except for Freshman studies which had like 100ish)
— You get to create a really cool & unique relationship with your professors. I would compare my relationships with profs to the relationships I have with my parents friends if that makes sense.
— The school just got a great donation & built a completely new library and it is beautiful. In fact, under President Martin, every building on campus has been built or updated within the past 12 years. (But that does NOT mean all the facilities are nice… they’re getting there though)
— All the dorms but two are REALLY nice… better than any public dorm you’ll ever see. I lived in Dujarie and all my friends that came to visit were crazy jealous.
— The cafeteria is AWESOME! They have really great gluten-​free and vegan options and I even met with the I guess «chef manager?» and he explained to me everything I could and couldn’t eat and they label every option as g-​free or vegan or dairy free for students to see. They also really focus on getting food from local vendors. (You PAY out the BUTT for this, though. And meal plan does not roll over year to year and as a freshman you have to have at least a $ 1,600 meal plan each semester and at least a $ 110 meal plan each semester for commuters)
THE BAD
— I started and tuition was $ 12,000 a semester. I got a good amount of scholarships, so I worked with my parents and we said OK, we can make this work. NO ONE TOLD ME TUITION WAS GOING TO RISE 8.5% OR ABOUT $ 3,000 EVERY YEAR!!! And don’t worry, it will continue to rise. This made me so incredibly mad and completely screwed over the financial plan I had set for myself. When I went to my financial adviser & asked how I could get more scholarships, she literally told me to go to
LIKE IS THAT A JOKE?! I joined Student Government with the determined mind set of looking into a tuition freeze so you could start at a set amount (which tuition was $ 16,600 as of Fall 2013) I met with the Dir. of Student Retention at the time and he had the same goals as me & wanted to work with me. I talked to someone in the President’s office after I had done more research (I can’t remember who now) but they told me not to waste my time and completely shot me down. The worst part about tuition rising, is since this is a private institution, there is NO TRANSPARENCY! So you really have no idea where your money is going… which for someone who wanted to make change on campus, this was hard to deal with.
— In Fall 2012 administration decided all of the sudden to GET RID OF DECEMBER & SUMMER GRADUATION! (Admin likes to make big changes without warning anyone). The involved student that I was, I decided to host a public forum because students were pissed! (As was I since I was going to be a Dec. graduate). The Provost said she wouldn’t be able to attend (she was afraid to hear student opinions and students were rioting) but actually decided to come! At the forum, she explained there were NO OTHER venues in Austin that December graduation would fit in that has tiered seating — LIE! She then said «in four years the new round of students won’t even know we had a December graduation» THAT WAS THE EXACT MOMENT I KNEW I WAS OVER ST. ED’S & SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE. Unfortunately I ran for Student Government President, lost in a close race & didn’t get to fulfill my big plans (wahhh). In the end, having one ceremony in the Spring was absolutely freaking miserable. Over 3 hours. So, so bad.
— St. Ed’s has no greek life. I would have liked to be in a sorority, but the hipsters would never let that happen on campus. so if you want to do that stuff, go across the river to UT.
— Also, the girl to guy ratio is like 65:35…in my psych classes we were LUCKY if there was one guy in our class. I’m not boy hungry, but it really takes away from the diversity & classroom experience.
— This also is not a research university. The professors teach & that is all they do… if you are looking to do research along with a prof and get it published and do big ol things, go across the river to UT.
I’m out of characters so that’s all for now — message me for more info :)

This is a great place to go to school and get your education! There is lots of opportunity that will take you a long way. Yes of course as a private school it can be an expensive place but if you’re able to get some good financial help then it is def worth the price for your degree. The usually small classes that you register for are staffed with great, smart, knowledgeable and patient professors that love what they are doing. They will take the time to make sure that you understand and learn the information that they are trying to teach you.
If you come to this great school, you will not be disappointing.

Everything about this school is fantastic except for one thing and that is the price. Yes, the instructors are great and you will learn allot. The south campus is much better then the north campus. Also, it would help if there was a little bit more flexibililty on times for the graduate programs. I took two semesters there for the MBA program and there is allot of student involvement as well. In addition, I have never seen a better turnout for a job fair in my entire life and I have been to many. The gym was packed with employers. Great school but very expensive.

The education you receive here is like no other in the area. Such great programs and opportunities. Worth every penny!
Only downfall is that I wish there were more older students in the undergraduate programs.

Couldn’t be more proud to be a Hilltopper. I’ve been attending St Eds for a couple years now and I love the education that I’m getting. As a Digital Media Management major, they have one of the most unique programs of its kind and all of my professors have been great. I love that the class sizes are smaller, which is one of the reasons I chose here over UT-​Austin. I feel like I have a better connection with professors and my classmates. They also have a strong focus on Global Perspective and really encourage students to study abroad through their network around the world. I studied in Angers, France at our sister campus at the Universite Catholique De L’Ouest and had and unforgettable experience. Although its a little pricey, I highly recommend this school.

Let me make a suggestion for a cheap date in Austin. Consider a picnic here with your hunny-​bunny. St. Ed’s has this hill that overlooks downtown. The view is incredible. Just bring a blanket and some food (even simple take-​out is enhanced by a great view) and sit on that hill. Enjoy!

I graduated from St. Ed’s in 2008 with a Bachelors degree in marketing and a liberal arts minor in philosophy. My time at St. Ed’s was invaluable. I am not a religious person but I took classes with teachers like Kelly Coblentz Bautch, and Edward Shirley that opened my mind to the sociological impact of religion in our world and taught me how to appreciate the beauty of faith.
Campus life is fairly righteous as well. There is always a school sponsored function happening that offers free food and t-​shirts. I lived in one of the older dorms, Teresa Hall, and I was surprisingly comfortable. It was a coed dorm which made for interesting socialization. I also lived in the on campus apartments which was awesome! A short walk to class everyday, spacious accommodations and well maintained public usage spaces made those apartments most enjoyable. I highly recommend them but sign up early because they are in high demand.
I cannot comment on the state of the cafeteria since I have not been there in a while and that sort of thing is often subject to change. I cannot comment on the state of the RCC (gym) either because I am fat and lazy.
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TL:DR summary
Beautiful campus, mind broadening course study, comfortable accommodations and personable professors make St. Ed’s great. If I could change anything about my time there I would change nothing.

Well, I’m posting a review based entirely on visiting the campus (rather than as a student).
I’m not shopping for a school; I’m a frequent visitor to Austin, and I was just curious as to what the campus looked like (since I’m always seeing the cupola tops as I drive down SoCo).
From outward appearances, it seems like a really intimate little gem of a school.
The main building and the surrounding lawns and trees make it seem really tranquil. The old main building actually sits atop a hill, and from the steps, you can see the best view of the Austin skyline that I have ever seen. I had heard this piece of trivia previously, and wondered how it was possible (since you can barely see the campus from anywhere), but yet, it IS possible, and with the backdrop of the trees, would make me feel like I was in a special place if I were a student here.

I’m just finishing up a Master’s program at St. Ed’s (MLA) and I have to say it has been a phenomenal experience. It is pricey, but worth it for the small classes and personal touch from the administration and faculty. Quite the opposite from the large state university I got my Bachelor’s at, which couldn’t have cared less who I was or what I was doing.
The MLA program is totally geared toward working students, which is wonderful. They know you have a job, and maybe a family, so you won’t always be able to get to class or be on time. You don’t get punished for having a life (provided you still do the work), which is wonderful.
It’s been fantastic and I will miss St. Edward’s when I graduate next month!

As a working single mom I managed to get my BA (New College Org. Comm) and my MS (MSOLE) degree at St. Edward’s (Alum 2003 & 2006).
Outside of the «take my first & only born child» in student loans– my experiences with St. Edward’s over 6.5 years was phenomenal. I love how this school doesn’t take part in the «student is a number». Although there are some professors who are a little «unique» I didn’t encounter one that made me feel like I was in a degree factory or on a political ladder of grades which would make or break my future success.
I especially loved their focus on critical thinking, leadership, and communication as a whole. I felt human, appreciated, and that I truly was getting a very valuable education.

I am a lucky grad of SEU and have to say my experience there was superb. Having attended a large state school prior to enrolling at SEU in the 90’s, I realized that I preferred the high level of accountability and small class structure offered there. St. Edward’s forced me to expand my world view, taught me how to analyze and solve complex moral and ethical dilemmas which gave me the strong foundation I needed to become a productive and concerned citizen of the world. All my professors were dedicated and passionate about their subjects and were amazingly encouraging in helping me find my way in the world. I would never trade my experience there for anything and am forever grateful for their guidance and enlightenment. Go Hilltoppers!!!

I am currently in my last year of undergraduate studies and I must say that I love St. Edward’s. The classes are very small, therefore enabling each student to receive adequate attention from all their professors. I’ve never had a problem with any of the faculty and all my professors have been available whenever I needed them.
Most of the newer academic facilities are pretty nice. The older buildings could have some work done to them, but the university is making plans to renovate. The library leaves a lot to be desired but I still always head there to get my homework and bigger assignments completed.
The undergraduate population is pretty close-​knit in that you can get to know everyone on a first-​name basis. Many students get involved with student organizations and work in the local community.
All and all, the school is great. It may be expensive, but the school hands out tons of financial aid. I suggest it to anyone.

I attended St. Eds for two years and got a masters degree from the school of business administration, my concentration was in Organizational Leadership and Ethics. Overall, it was a very good experience. The staff at St. Eds are beyond helpful, they really will go out of their way to help you with any issues, academic, financial, or otherwise. The cost is not small, but for a nighttime professional degree it’s pretty reasonable (especially after shopping for law schools :) They do raise tuition every year, so keep that in mind if you’re doing a program that takes more than two to complete.
The professors varied in experience and expertise. Most had solid work experience, and at least some previous academic experience. Many, but not all had PhDs. The best had many years of both types of experience. I only had one professor in two years who I felt was unqualified to teach in the program, and in general the administration is very open to feedback of that sort. The mission of the school to developing critical thinkers and good writers and speakers was usually reflected in the coursework and class requirements.
One shortcoming of my specific program was the inconsistency in student levels. While some of my class took very well to critical thinking and academic rigor, others struggled, lowering the quality of feedback for all. I think as the program expands this issue will decrease.
Textbook prices are high, and buybacks infrequent. I usually bought mine used from
. The only unhelpful staff are usually to be found in the bookstore, so I avoided it. The cafeteria is expensive, crowded, and usually mediocre, but you can find a few healthy, tasty options. The coffee house is good, but slow. The classrooms lack floor outlets for your laptop (even in the newer buildings) so bring a long cord to class if you need to charge up.
There were a great many free perks available to students. Language groups, writing seminars and tutoring, social events, career lectures, public speakers, computer classes, and much more. I wish I had taken advantage of more of them while I was there.
If you want a business degree with a reasonable amount of traditional academic rigor, I highly recommend St. Edward’s programs. For me, it was time and money well spent.