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.

What does intentionally serving students look like? At Felician University, the answer is strengthening institutional ca...
09/01/2026

What does intentionally serving students look like? At Felician University, the answer is strengthening institutional capacity through coordinated student support services and promoting workforce preparation through STEM-focused career development opportunities.

As an affiliate of the national Excelencia in Action network, Felician University is dedicated to the success of Latino, and all, students. That commitment manifests in campus-wide collaboration and investment to ensure the university is meeting the evolving needs of today's students.

President Mildred Mihlon reflects on how Felician is empowering students to achieve their goals before and beyond graduation in Excelencia in Education’s Voces y Excelencia: Leadership in Action series on Medium → https://excelenciaineducation.medium.com/strengthening-latino-student-success-in-stem-with-purpose-and-direction-96dc7235fbb5

Eyra Pérez, Vice President of Institutional Capacity at Excelencia in Education, joined leaders from Seal of Excelencia-...
08/31/2026

Eyra Pérez, Vice President of Institutional Capacity at Excelencia in Education, joined leaders from Seal of Excelencia-certified Metropolitan State University of Denver and other colleges and universities to address the future of Hispanic-Serving Institutions at the 2026 Colorado Latino Policy Summit.

HSIs play a critical role in educating Latino, and all, students nationwide. Excelencia catalyzes the colleges and universities in our national E-Action network to deconstruct the "S" in "HSI" to intentionally SERVE Latinos. We were proud to share our perspective on the policy landscape that HSIs must navigate — and to assert the opportunity to evolve from simply enrolling students to ensuring they thrive.

👉 Catch up on our latest analysis of HSIs and federal investment in their capacity building: https://www.edexcelencia.org/research/publications/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis-factbook

The Washington Monthly released the second annual edition of the Best Colleges for Hispanic Students today, informed by ...
08/31/2026

The Washington Monthly released the second annual edition of the Best Colleges for Hispanic Students today, informed by Excelencia in Education's extensive knowledge of institutions intentionally serving Latino, and all, students.

Institutions that have earned the Seal of Excelencia for demonstrating continuous improvement in student success lead the analysis. They account for 34 of the top 100 two-year and four-year colleges and universities educating Latinos nationwide — including 8 in the top 10.

When colleges and universities commit to becoming places where students thrive, they make a positive difference for their communities and our country. Together, Seal-certified institutions model the transformation higher education needs to facilitate access to excellence for Latino, and all, students — and strengthen our nation’s civic leadership and workforce.

📰 Read our full announcement→ https://www.edexcelencia.org/newsroom/colleges-and-universities-that-have-earned-the-seal-of-excelencia-lead-among-the-nation%E2%80%99s-top-institutions-in-economic-mobility-for-hispanic-students

💻 Join our Beyond the Rankings webinar on September 3 from 2-3pm ET to hear from Seal-certified institutional leaders → https://edexcelencia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iAdhv_TKQN6HHjC59Oc2aQ #/

At a moment of significant change in higher education, no institution has to navigate intentionally serving students alo...
08/28/2026

At a moment of significant change in higher education, no institution has to navigate intentionally serving students alone.

Nearly 150 colleges and universities have chosen to affiliate with Excelencia in Education's national Excelencia in Action network — united by a commitment to becoming learning environments where Latino, and all, students thrive. California State University, Chico is one of the many institutions that, through E-Action, has participated in capacity building opportunities alongside peers and strengthened internal structures tod improve retention, completion, and institutional effectiveness.

Teresita Curiel, Director, Latinx Equity and Success, shares exactly what Excelencia's community of common cause means to Chico State. Discover what the E-Action network could mean for your institution → https://www.edexcelencia.org/leadership/excelencia-in-action

08/27/2026

📣 Meet our 2026 Programs to Watch in the issue areas of Career and Workforce, Teaching and Learning, and Student Support!

These programs highlight innovative approaches that are already showing promise—impacting academic programs, retention and transfer rates, and access to higher education—and have the potential to grow their impact.

🎓 Career and Workforce
🔹 Advanced Manufacturing | Austin Community College District (TX) | This program expands educational access by providing flexible pathways for working adults to earn industry-recognized credentials and prepare for high-demand careers.

📚 Teaching and Learning
🔹 Family and Education, the Future of a Nation | Ave Frontera (TX) | This program supports student success, workforce readiness, and stronger connections between families, higher education, and the community by preparing faculty, expanding family engagement, and creating inclusive learning environments.

🤝 Student Support
🔹 Dual Degree Program | Governors State University (IL) | This program creates a seamless pathway for transfer students from Illinois community colleges by providing academic, financial, and personal support from the associate degree through bachelor’s degree completion.
🔹 Hispanic Student College Institute | Montclair State University (NJ) | This program focuses on college prep and mentoring by preparing high-achieving, historically underserved students for college success through academic, cultural, and family-centered support.

Explore the Programs to Watch and discover how these innovative initiatives are helping institutions better serve Latino students while creating stronger outcomes for all learners → https://www.edexcelencia.org/what-works/examples-excelencia/programs-watch

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

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