UHV listed as one of best small colleges in state
The University of Houston-Victoria has been named third in the Best Small College category in the state, according to a recent ranking published by Niche, a Pittsburgh-based company that specializes in rankings and reviews of U.S. colleges.
“I have had the opportunity to work at six different institutions of different sizes, from as small as 1,000 students to as large as 25,000 students,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “My consistent experience and observation is that smaller institutions have many advantages over larger ones.”
One of the advantages of being a student at a smaller institution is the stronger sense of connection to peers and professors, to know that people know them, and they matter, Glenn said.
The ranking was calculated using metrics that include more than 500,000 verified college reviews from students and analyzing data from other sources such as the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, according to Niche.
“Our faculty and staff understand the importance of connecting with students, and our students benefit from that connection,” Glenn said. “I would assert that this recognition is a reflection of the great work being done here by faculty and staff who understand the importance of connection.”
For kinesiology senior Claire Blinka, searching for the right college to call home was easy. Her family lives in Port Lavaca, and Blinka said the proximity to her family was the main reason she picked UHV. She came to the university on a softball scholarship and was originally an education major but changed it to kinesiology because it was a better fit, she said.
“Being so close to family and them being able to come here to watch me play was a big plus,” Blinka said. “What I really liked was how the classes were smaller, so I connected better with my professors. And with the class sizes being smaller, it was easier to find other students to connect with and start a study group.”
Looking back over the past four years, Blinka said she is grateful for all the relationships she has made with her classmates and softball teammates.
“There are so many places here I can go to shadow and to look for internships,” Blinka said. “A smaller town definitely makes it easier.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.