The Alamo Colleges Foundation

Northwest Vista College (NVC) was established in 1995. Students can pursue a wide range of subjects at NVC, which offers programs in Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT), Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Certificates of Completion, and Marketable Skills Awards.

Enrolled students also have the option to take courses that are transferable to many institutions of higher education. The college has several articulation agreements with nearby universities such as the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas State University-San Marcos, and the University of the Incarnate Word. These 2+2 articulation agreements serve to facilitate the admission and academic transfer of students from participating Community Colleges like NVC to a participating four-year college or university within the state of Texas.

The current Northwest Vista College catalog consists of a 46-hour core curriculum mandated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The THECB requires all public colleges and universities in Texas to instill at least 42 hours of core curriculum studies into a student’s degree plan. By completing NVC’s core curriculum, students may transfer to any public institution in Texas without the worry of loss of credit in the transfer process. As long as students complete the core curriculum, the satisfying courses will transfer as a block.

The student will not be required to take any more core courses at the transfer institution unless the THECB has approved a more extensive core curriculum at that institution.

Palo Alto College (PAC), established in 1985, attracts students from throughout Bexar County and adjoining counties.

Increases in enrollment prompted physical growth, specifically through the construction of new facilities for added classroom space and sports and recreation. The college provides several logistics and supply chain management education and training programs at the associate degree and certificate levels.

In December of 2020, the Alamo Colleges Foundation received a $20M gift in unrestricted dollars to Palo Alto College from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This generous, unsolicited gift was the most significant gift ever received by any of the Alamo Colleges. Ms. Scott’s team responsible for choosing gift recipients identified Palo Alto College as having “high potential for impact.”

St. Philip’s College (SPC) was established in 1898 and currently serves more than 11,000 students in over 70 different academic and technical disciplines.

As the only college in the country to have a designation of both a Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), St. Philip’s College’s major divisions include Arts and Sciences, Applied Science and Technology, and Health Professions.

Students may earn an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science degree, depending on the major area of study. Many departments offer one-year certificate programs designed for concentrated study in specific subject areas and rapid entry into the job market.

The Applied Science and Technology division offers coursework in unique high-demand career and technical fields, such as Aircraft Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Construction Trades, Electrical and Power Transmission, Multi-Modal Transportation, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, plus many more. St. Philip’s College offers more than 200 online classes through its Center for Distance Learning. Courses range from Accounting, to Pathophysiology, to Web Design.

San Antonio College (SAC) was established in 1925 and serves the Bexar County community by providing high-quality general education, liberal arts and sciences, career education, continuing education, and developmental education.

In December 2007, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board awarded San Antonio College a rating of “exemplary” for seven of its academic programs. However, in January 2008, THECB revised the rating to include additional programs bringing the total to 11.

The 11 programs receiving this designation are business management, computer-aided design, dental assisting, radio-TV and film, nursing education, finance, and financial management, medical assisting, mortuary science, American sign language/interpreter training, public administration, and real estate. This rating means that all 11 programs exceed the state’s required standards of excellence in education.

San Antonio College was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in cyber defense by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The designation represented a recognition of significant contributions in meeting the national demand for cyber defense education, developing cyber defense experts, and ultimately contributing to protecting the national information infrastructure.

According to the Institute of Education Sciences, San Antonio college currently has a 14% graduation rate and 61% transfer-out rate when given 150% of the time needed to complete an associate degree for full-time, first-time degree-seeking students. Of the 20,000 plus students enrolled, only 18% are attending full-time.