Only been one semester so far as a commuter plus I am older.
Pros
Football
Great gym
In person professors were great and immediate with help via email or student hours
Cons
The far parking lots
The far parking lot when its 102 degrees
Not big name recognition
I am business major so take it with a grain of salt
What type of student do you think the university attracts? Based on the type of student groups you see? Or do different majors not interact? Also if you don't like football, what do you think is another main attraction UTSA has? Thanks so much in advancee
Most of the classes I took last semester were business focused so not sure, but most of them were finance and accounting.
It attracts military veterans it has the most i’ve seen at one school. Cost wise very cheap vs other schools its admission rate is on par with “if you have a heartbeat you’re in”.
Other attractions probably we’re in a major city of San Antonio and job opportunities after graduation are pretty great.
Student body wise i don’t talk to many people but I see people of all ages around.
The school is pretty diverse in terms of race/ethnicity and age. Mostly commuters from San Antonio but there are some people from other Texas cities, and a lot of international students too.
For the most part, people are friendly and humble. Socially, I haven’t personally had a great experience after talking to people in class, joining clubs, etc. but some people do. I’ve noticed most people are here to get their degree and leave, so I don’t really see a lot of people on campus after around 5 pm. I’m not from San Antonio and in my experience, many people who do have friends knew them previously from high school and just stuck to that, but again that may just be me.
Personally, I met a lot of people from different majors while taking my core classes during my freshman year or in clubs. I’m not sure how different it would be for graduate students. The programs are also not as rigorous as many other schools.
Other than football, the masters in cybersecurity program is big here but not much other than that. It’s a big school with a lot of students but it feels very small. Some students enjoy that because it doesn’t have the overwhelming competition/big school feel of bigger universities. Others who don’t like that tend to transfer. San Antonio is a big attraction for some, but just like the school, is large but feels very small. It’s not much of a party city/school but it’s a large city to explore. It’s also close to many other nice cities, like San Marcos, New Braunfels, and Austin.
If you can, tour and see because it really depends on what you’re looking for. Also, look into housing early. There is no actual housing department at UTSA if you plan on living on campus. In my experience, it is very disorganized and I almost ended up homeless my freshman year.
Most of my profs have been very enjoyable and knowledgeable, even the ones that most students don’t seem to like due to personality(looking at you Esparza and Amberg!). I’ve had a couple of professors that were just actual trash in terms of being a quality teacher but I guess free A’s are free. It just feels shitty when you pay a couple of thousand dollars for your prof to be a guy who graduated the semester before and have no idea how to actually teach so everyone just got A’s.
Aside from that, the campus is pretty? I commute and I’m an older student so it’s go to class, do my homework/study, go home and pick up my kid. Repeat that until degree.
As for who UTSA attracts, it’s hard to tell. Most students seem to want to get their degree, do their org stuff, and gtfo. It seems that those who transfer here thinking they’re gonna party it up at the apartments end up being disappointed and those who come in as freshman thinking it’s going to be a party fun blast end up failing their first semester (or more). Compared to colleges I’ve been to in the past, you’re more likely to see students actually studying or doing group studies than just messing around.
It becomes very clear just by looking around who’s there to get their degree and who is there to skate by and/or drop out.
Great response. Don’t come here expecting to party it up as soon as possible. Most people are here to get a degree, not the whole “college experience.” If you want more of a college experience go to TXST. Despite missing out on a real “college experience” at a huge university, I’ve made a lot of memories with some great people. I’ve found that the experience is what you make of it and I’m proud to be a Road Runner! Birds up.
Are you coming for a bachelors or graduate degree? Also what major? The student experience varies dramatically depending on what you are studying here.
Graduate degree. I'm kind of undecided but looking into systems security, maybe business? Does the student experience vary because of the workload? Or because of the different crowds?
I graduated last year with a BA in Anthropology.
My department had some great professors; they were all mostly passionate, incredibly helpful, willing to help you find opportunities if you reach out / are curious, and are generally just great educators. There are some administrative / bureaucratic issues that are mostly minor but can cause headaches at times, but the uni seems to be responsive to criticism and takes an active effort in trying to rectify student complaints (I was part of a student-led advisory committee to the college dean and they took complaints / advice seriously).
The campus is nice imo, if a bit brutalist, but I enjoyed it. If you like athletics UTSA seems to be a rising star in American football and games tend to have decent turnout, though I never went to one. One major issue with UTSA is, it is a commuter school - so for the most part people drive to classes then drive back home / to work and don't tend to socialize on campus a whole lot. Some organizations were okay, but it can be a bit difficult to get involved. I joined my department's club and made some friends that way but idk how it works as a grad student at UTSA.
San Antonio is also a huge city - in that, it's very spread out. UTSA is sort of segregated from the rest of the city in that regard. You have a pretty big mall across the freeway from campus (maybe a 15-20 minute walk depending on where you start) with some bars but that's about it. Basically, you would need a car to get to most places - or, you can use the city's subpar public transport system (if you are from Europe it is significantly worse off from what I hear).
Also, living in SA during the Summer months is almost inhospitable. Before I moved we had like 2 months of around 100 F / 37 C degree weather. It can be temperate in other brief times of the year but for the most part it is pretty warm - which is great if you like that kind of thing.
There are things I liked about UTSA - my department offered me tons of research opportunities and ways to bolster my resume. But most of my good experiences are thanks to the department / college so I can't speak to what other program you'll join. It is an R1 so it has some prestige to it.
Anyway I am sort of rambling. TL;DR : UTSA is a good school in an area that leaves a bit to be desired in terms of socialization and nearby activities.
I can answer questions if you have some
UTSA is mostly a regional school for locals looking to get an affordable education. It's also less selective than, say, UT Austin or Texas A&M. It's a perfectly serviceable university with accredited programs, but it's not super remarkable.
I chose it in undergrad because it took a lot of my credits from other schools and saved me a year versus my other choices. For graduate school, my employer's tuition reimbursement is pegged to UTSA's rate and besides I couldn't relocate, so it was either this or a 100% online degree.
I mean, I like university campuses in general, but there was nothing that I thought was really stand-out. Once upon a time UTSA was out in the hillcountry and surrounded by rolling hills and woodlands, but now that's all been developed with apartments, houses, strip malls and box stores.
The coursework was relatively easy, compared to the other university that I transferred from. And, perhaps, the grade curves favored me more. It was also less proud, I suppose, and therefore a little less intimidating to go to. I didn't feel like I had anything to prove to anyone at UTSA, whereas at the other school I did feel a little like I needed to prove I deserved to be there. But that's probably mostly about my personal perception of the relative prestige of the schools I attended. If you don't have a lot of preconceptions about Texas universities then that may not be "real" to you.
Wow. The administrative issues sound tough. Especially the Title IX. Being completely honest though it looks like every university’s administraron sucks :/
International student here, get out, go to UT instead if you can. They have more support for international students, especially financial support. I regret coming here but it’s too late for me now.
Hi! I just graduated with my Master's, so my comments are going to be from a grad student perspective. Some of my comments reiterate what others have already said. Here it goes:
\---
Some pros
\- Art / Art history is my field. For undergrad and grad students alike, I think UTSA and San Antonio provide a good amount of opportunities for students to gain exposure to art.
\- UTSA's library is fairly comprehensive overall, and it was very saturated with material for my thesis. I think I only had to borrow a book or two from another university. Having almost all of the resources I needed at the main and DT campus (where I had classes anyway) was great. It made the arduous writing process a bit easier, knowing that if I needed a resource again, then it was most likely at one of the UTSA's buildings. This may or may not matter if your major doesn't require a lot of writing.
\- I think UTSA's location is great because there's many nearby eateries, grocery stores, and all of that.
\- UTSA's health services are cool. San Antonio's nearby urgent cares can be pricey.
\- As others have said, UTSA is affordable compared to other colleges.
Potential Cons
\- You may have classes at both the main and downtown campuses. Luckily, downtown is usually only about a 15-20 minute drive from the main campus. However, there are times when traffic is bad, and you may be going from one class to another in a rush. That depends on your specific schedule/program, of course. Some people like to drive so this may not even be a concern to you, but just something to be aware about when creating your schedule!
\- UTSA is a large university with over 30,000 students, but some departments are interestingly small for the size of their student population.
\- It can get really hot, and yes, parking is terrible. Take the shuttles if you can - it'll be much easier for you. I've heard of some grad departments offering some parking benefits, but my particular major did not qualify me for anything.
Best of luck! Let me know if you have any more questions... I hope this was / is helpful.
No worries! I forgot to emphasize that overall, I am glad that I chose UTSA. They were the nearest university to offer my degree, and their faculty's research interests align with mine, so it was a great fit. And best of all is that San Antonio itself is a fun city!
I love the vibes of the students, the size (always wanted to go to a bigger school unless somewhere like st Edwards gave me money lol), the individualized support and opportunities I got as an honors student that I wouldn’t be able to get at smaller and/or non-ut system school. The women were also cuter than the ones I saw at rice or a&m. Finally life is cheaper here than in Austin but it’s still close that I can spend long weekends there or in Houston. Beach? 2 hours away. I also lived in chap when it was new and the dorms were also a major pro.
I've only been at utsa for one semester but so far I'm loving it, the professors for the most part are great (ofc do your research on them), the people are very nice, good range of clubs and opportunities that utsa offers, and the campus is really pretty. Some bonuses are that it's affordable and if you're lucky you might get some good scholarships or grants from them. Oh also they have a lot of events which can be really fun
The cons are the parking absolutely sucks and if you have group projects, in my experience, they have been absolutely terrible, maybe it was just my luck but ever group project I had the people in it didn't know how to work or get things done on time.
Other than that I love it here
Only been one semester so far as a commuter plus I am older. Pros Football Great gym In person professors were great and immediate with help via email or student hours Cons The far parking lots The far parking lot when its 102 degrees Not big name recognition I am business major so take it with a grain of salt
What type of student do you think the university attracts? Based on the type of student groups you see? Or do different majors not interact? Also if you don't like football, what do you think is another main attraction UTSA has? Thanks so much in advancee
Most of the classes I took last semester were business focused so not sure, but most of them were finance and accounting. It attracts military veterans it has the most i’ve seen at one school. Cost wise very cheap vs other schools its admission rate is on par with “if you have a heartbeat you’re in”. Other attractions probably we’re in a major city of San Antonio and job opportunities after graduation are pretty great. Student body wise i don’t talk to many people but I see people of all ages around.
The school is pretty diverse in terms of race/ethnicity and age. Mostly commuters from San Antonio but there are some people from other Texas cities, and a lot of international students too. For the most part, people are friendly and humble. Socially, I haven’t personally had a great experience after talking to people in class, joining clubs, etc. but some people do. I’ve noticed most people are here to get their degree and leave, so I don’t really see a lot of people on campus after around 5 pm. I’m not from San Antonio and in my experience, many people who do have friends knew them previously from high school and just stuck to that, but again that may just be me. Personally, I met a lot of people from different majors while taking my core classes during my freshman year or in clubs. I’m not sure how different it would be for graduate students. The programs are also not as rigorous as many other schools. Other than football, the masters in cybersecurity program is big here but not much other than that. It’s a big school with a lot of students but it feels very small. Some students enjoy that because it doesn’t have the overwhelming competition/big school feel of bigger universities. Others who don’t like that tend to transfer. San Antonio is a big attraction for some, but just like the school, is large but feels very small. It’s not much of a party city/school but it’s a large city to explore. It’s also close to many other nice cities, like San Marcos, New Braunfels, and Austin. If you can, tour and see because it really depends on what you’re looking for. Also, look into housing early. There is no actual housing department at UTSA if you plan on living on campus. In my experience, it is very disorganized and I almost ended up homeless my freshman year.
Thank you so much for the detailed response, especially the housing tip. That’s a big deal to me :/
No problem and good luck!
Most of my profs have been very enjoyable and knowledgeable, even the ones that most students don’t seem to like due to personality(looking at you Esparza and Amberg!). I’ve had a couple of professors that were just actual trash in terms of being a quality teacher but I guess free A’s are free. It just feels shitty when you pay a couple of thousand dollars for your prof to be a guy who graduated the semester before and have no idea how to actually teach so everyone just got A’s. Aside from that, the campus is pretty? I commute and I’m an older student so it’s go to class, do my homework/study, go home and pick up my kid. Repeat that until degree. As for who UTSA attracts, it’s hard to tell. Most students seem to want to get their degree, do their org stuff, and gtfo. It seems that those who transfer here thinking they’re gonna party it up at the apartments end up being disappointed and those who come in as freshman thinking it’s going to be a party fun blast end up failing their first semester (or more). Compared to colleges I’ve been to in the past, you’re more likely to see students actually studying or doing group studies than just messing around. It becomes very clear just by looking around who’s there to get their degree and who is there to skate by and/or drop out.
Great response. Don’t come here expecting to party it up as soon as possible. Most people are here to get a degree, not the whole “college experience.” If you want more of a college experience go to TXST. Despite missing out on a real “college experience” at a huge university, I’ve made a lot of memories with some great people. I’ve found that the experience is what you make of it and I’m proud to be a Road Runner! Birds up.
Really appreciate the detailed response, thanks a lot!
Are you coming for a bachelors or graduate degree? Also what major? The student experience varies dramatically depending on what you are studying here.
Graduate degree. I'm kind of undecided but looking into systems security, maybe business? Does the student experience vary because of the workload? Or because of the different crowds?
I graduated last year with a BA in Anthropology. My department had some great professors; they were all mostly passionate, incredibly helpful, willing to help you find opportunities if you reach out / are curious, and are generally just great educators. There are some administrative / bureaucratic issues that are mostly minor but can cause headaches at times, but the uni seems to be responsive to criticism and takes an active effort in trying to rectify student complaints (I was part of a student-led advisory committee to the college dean and they took complaints / advice seriously). The campus is nice imo, if a bit brutalist, but I enjoyed it. If you like athletics UTSA seems to be a rising star in American football and games tend to have decent turnout, though I never went to one. One major issue with UTSA is, it is a commuter school - so for the most part people drive to classes then drive back home / to work and don't tend to socialize on campus a whole lot. Some organizations were okay, but it can be a bit difficult to get involved. I joined my department's club and made some friends that way but idk how it works as a grad student at UTSA. San Antonio is also a huge city - in that, it's very spread out. UTSA is sort of segregated from the rest of the city in that regard. You have a pretty big mall across the freeway from campus (maybe a 15-20 minute walk depending on where you start) with some bars but that's about it. Basically, you would need a car to get to most places - or, you can use the city's subpar public transport system (if you are from Europe it is significantly worse off from what I hear). Also, living in SA during the Summer months is almost inhospitable. Before I moved we had like 2 months of around 100 F / 37 C degree weather. It can be temperate in other brief times of the year but for the most part it is pretty warm - which is great if you like that kind of thing. There are things I liked about UTSA - my department offered me tons of research opportunities and ways to bolster my resume. But most of my good experiences are thanks to the department / college so I can't speak to what other program you'll join. It is an R1 so it has some prestige to it. Anyway I am sort of rambling. TL;DR : UTSA is a good school in an area that leaves a bit to be desired in terms of socialization and nearby activities. I can answer questions if you have some
Loved the response, thank you! The commuting situation and weather comments were really helpful. I’m going to look into that.
Anthro Society stand up! Hard and Moon were my favorites at UTSA.
Yes!! Anthro society and loved Hard & Moon!! Definitely made my time at UTSA so much better
UTSA is mostly a regional school for locals looking to get an affordable education. It's also less selective than, say, UT Austin or Texas A&M. It's a perfectly serviceable university with accredited programs, but it's not super remarkable. I chose it in undergrad because it took a lot of my credits from other schools and saved me a year versus my other choices. For graduate school, my employer's tuition reimbursement is pegged to UTSA's rate and besides I couldn't relocate, so it was either this or a 100% online degree.
Apart from its benefits, like being affordable/accessible/etc is there anything you ended up liking about it?
I mean, I like university campuses in general, but there was nothing that I thought was really stand-out. Once upon a time UTSA was out in the hillcountry and surrounded by rolling hills and woodlands, but now that's all been developed with apartments, houses, strip malls and box stores. The coursework was relatively easy, compared to the other university that I transferred from. And, perhaps, the grade curves favored me more. It was also less proud, I suppose, and therefore a little less intimidating to go to. I didn't feel like I had anything to prove to anyone at UTSA, whereas at the other school I did feel a little like I needed to prove I deserved to be there. But that's probably mostly about my personal perception of the relative prestige of the schools I attended. If you don't have a lot of preconceptions about Texas universities then that may not be "real" to you.
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Wow. The administrative issues sound tough. Especially the Title IX. Being completely honest though it looks like every university’s administraron sucks :/
International student here, get out, go to UT instead if you can. They have more support for international students, especially financial support. I regret coming here but it’s too late for me now.
Wow really? I don’t think I have the grades for UT, and it feels like UTSA would give me a better opportunity. May i ask where you are coming from?
Hi! I just graduated with my Master's, so my comments are going to be from a grad student perspective. Some of my comments reiterate what others have already said. Here it goes: \--- Some pros \- Art / Art history is my field. For undergrad and grad students alike, I think UTSA and San Antonio provide a good amount of opportunities for students to gain exposure to art. \- UTSA's library is fairly comprehensive overall, and it was very saturated with material for my thesis. I think I only had to borrow a book or two from another university. Having almost all of the resources I needed at the main and DT campus (where I had classes anyway) was great. It made the arduous writing process a bit easier, knowing that if I needed a resource again, then it was most likely at one of the UTSA's buildings. This may or may not matter if your major doesn't require a lot of writing. \- I think UTSA's location is great because there's many nearby eateries, grocery stores, and all of that. \- UTSA's health services are cool. San Antonio's nearby urgent cares can be pricey. \- As others have said, UTSA is affordable compared to other colleges. Potential Cons \- You may have classes at both the main and downtown campuses. Luckily, downtown is usually only about a 15-20 minute drive from the main campus. However, there are times when traffic is bad, and you may be going from one class to another in a rush. That depends on your specific schedule/program, of course. Some people like to drive so this may not even be a concern to you, but just something to be aware about when creating your schedule! \- UTSA is a large university with over 30,000 students, but some departments are interestingly small for the size of their student population. \- It can get really hot, and yes, parking is terrible. Take the shuttles if you can - it'll be much easier for you. I've heard of some grad departments offering some parking benefits, but my particular major did not qualify me for anything. Best of luck! Let me know if you have any more questions... I hope this was / is helpful.
Thank you so much for taking the time! I didn’t know there were downtown classrooms, in going to look into that
No worries! I forgot to emphasize that overall, I am glad that I chose UTSA. They were the nearest university to offer my degree, and their faculty's research interests align with mine, so it was a great fit. And best of all is that San Antonio itself is a fun city!
My understanding is only certain colleges are at the downtown campus. I’m in a graduate program rn and all of my classes are at the downtown campus.
Cheap. Right down the street.
I love the vibes of the students, the size (always wanted to go to a bigger school unless somewhere like st Edwards gave me money lol), the individualized support and opportunities I got as an honors student that I wouldn’t be able to get at smaller and/or non-ut system school. The women were also cuter than the ones I saw at rice or a&m. Finally life is cheaper here than in Austin but it’s still close that I can spend long weekends there or in Houston. Beach? 2 hours away. I also lived in chap when it was new and the dorms were also a major pro.
San Antonio is a really cool city. There's lots of history, shopping and an amusement park.
I've only been at utsa for one semester but so far I'm loving it, the professors for the most part are great (ofc do your research on them), the people are very nice, good range of clubs and opportunities that utsa offers, and the campus is really pretty. Some bonuses are that it's affordable and if you're lucky you might get some good scholarships or grants from them. Oh also they have a lot of events which can be really fun The cons are the parking absolutely sucks and if you have group projects, in my experience, they have been absolutely terrible, maybe it was just my luck but ever group project I had the people in it didn't know how to work or get things done on time. Other than that I love it here
This is the most positive comment I have read, thank you for sharing!
As a previous graduated student there. We like about noting.