Northwest Vista College

3535 N. Ellison Drive
San Antonio, TX 78251
Top Ranked (2025): View Rankings
  • Northwest Vista College is a college of the Alamo Community College District along with its sister colleges that include Palo Alto College, St. Philip's College, San Antonio College and Northeast Lakeview College in serving Bexar County and the surrounding areas.

School Highlights

Northwest Vista College serves 25,141 students (16% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 42:1 is higher than the state community college average of 23:1.
Minority enrollment is 81% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the state average of 74%.

Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 25,141 students
  • In-state tuition: $5,550
  • Out-state tuition: $10,740
  • Student:teacher ratio: 42:1
  • Minority enrollment: 81%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Northwest Vista College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Texas for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size

School Overview

The teacher population of 600 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Northwest Vista College
(TX) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional
Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: Associate's Dominant
Institution Level
Less than 2 yrs
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Private, for profit
Total Faculty
600 staff
262 staff
This chart displays total faculty of Northwest Vista College and community college average number of faculty in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Northwest Vista College has grown by 39% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 42:1 has increased from 31:1 over five years.
The Northwest Vista College diversity score of 0.53 is less than the state average of 0.70. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment
25,141 students
1,396 students
This chart displays the total enrollment of Northwest Vista College and community college average number of enrollment of Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
42:1
23:1
This chart displays the student staff ratio of Northwest Vista College and community college average student staff ratio of Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
3,923 students
890 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Northwest Vista College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
21,218 students
4,022 students
This chart displays the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Northwest Vista College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
This chart displays the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Northwest Vista College.
This chart displays community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of Texas.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
251 students
403 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
3,923 students
890 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Northwest Vista College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
40 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
n/a
4,022 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
47 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
252 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
n/a
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Northwest Vista College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Asian
4%
6%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Northwest Vista College and the percentage of Asian community college students in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hispanic
65%
46%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Northwest Vista College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in Texas by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
% Black
7%
14%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Northwest Vista College and the percentage of Black community college students in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% White
19%
26%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Northwest Vista College and the percentage of White community college students in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of Hawaiian students in Northwest Vista College and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Two or more races
4%
3%
This chart displays the percentage of Two or more races students in Northwest Vista College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Non Resident races
n/a
2%
% Unknown races
1%
3%
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Northwest Vista College.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Texas.
Diversity Score
0.53
0.70
This chart displays the diversity score of Northwest Vista College and the community college average diversity score of Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
0.2699%
0.5469%
This chart displays completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Northwest Vista College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
0.3357%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$36,200
$34,600
This chart displays average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Northwest Vista College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Texas by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $5,550 is more than the state average of $3,316. The in-state tuition has declined by 15% over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $10,740 is more than the state average of $5,750. The out-state tuition has declined by 23% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$5,550
$3,316
This chart displays tuition fees for an in-state student of Northwest Vista College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$10,740
$5,750
This chart displays tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Northwest Vista College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Texas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
78%
84%
This chart displays the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Northwest Vista College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$8,523
$10,765
This chart displays median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Northwest Vista College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$5,341
$5,500
This chart displays median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Northwest Vista College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Texas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
81%
Source: 2024 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • Established in 1994, with a donation of approximately 137 acres from World Savings and Loan Association, Northwest Vista College began holding classes in off-campus locations in the fall of 1995 with an enrollment of 12 students. The college began construction of its campus in July 1997 and the Mountain Laurel Hall opened to students in October 1998. The campus celebrated its grand opening in October 1999 with the completion of the Manzanillo Hall and the Huisache Hall. Located on 137 acres, Northwest Vista College is comprised of the following buildings: Manzanillo Hall,, Mountain Laurel Hall, Huisache Hall, Pecan Hall, Texas Persimmon Physical Plant and the Boardwalk. The Manzanillo Hall houses the state-of-the-art Learning Resource Center, the Student Success Center and the college's administration offices. The Huisache Hall is home to the bookstore, the college's Kinesiology and Multimedia Technology programs, the Office of Student Engagement, the student lounge, banquet facilities and refreshment vending facilities. The Mountain Laurel Hall is home to classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices. The Pecan Hall is home to the Center for Workforce and Community Education, classrooms, dance studios, and computer labs. The Boardwalk includes 23,000 square feet of additional classroom space. The college offers programs in Academic Foundations, Communication Arts, Arts & Humanities, Business & Government, Natural & Physical Sciences, Social and Computer Sciences and Support Areas. Northwest Vista College offers Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science degrees, Certificates, and Marketable Skills Achievement Awards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Northwest Vista College cost?
Northwest Vista College's tuition is approximately $5,550 for In-State students and $10,740 for Out-State students.
What is Northwest Vista College's ranking?
Northwest Vista College ranks among the top 20% of community college in Texas for: Largest student body and Least debt for graduating students.
In what neighborhood is Northwest Vista College located?
Northwest Vista College is located in the Far West Side neighborhood of San Antonio, TX. There are 1 other community '.college.' located in Far West Side.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 25,141 students
  • In-state tuition: $5,550
  • Out-state tuition: $10,740
  • Student:teacher ratio: 42:1
  • Minority enrollment: 81%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Related School Videos

Did You Know?

Bexar County, TX community colleges have a diversity score of 0.58, which is higher than the national average of 0.00. The most diverse community college in Bexar County, TX is Galen College of Nursing-San Antonio. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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