UAlbany Earns Seal of Excelencia Recertification for Students’ Educational and Economic Success

Photo of UAlbany's Uptown campus with Seal of Excelencia logo
UAlbany received the Seal of Excelencia Recertification

By Amy Geduldig 

ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 30, 2025) – The University at Albany has earned recertification for the prestigious Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education, a national leader in catalyzing institutional transformation for student success in higher education. UAlbany was granted initial certification in 2022, the first public school in New York State and the first Research 1 institution in the Northeast to receive the recognition.  

UAlbany is one of 18 colleges and universities to earn the Seal in 2025, reaffirming its place among nearly 50 institutions that are taking responsibility for improving Latino, and all, student success. Seal of Excelencia certified institutions produce outsized impact on student outcomes — representing less than 1 percent of all colleges and universities in the U.S. yet enrolling 16 percent and graduating 18 percent of Latino students nationwide, as well as enrolling 7 percent and graduating 8 percent of all students.

“Earning Seal of Excelencia recertification is a powerful recognition of the University at Albany’s continued commitment to creating an educational environment where every student has the resources and opportunities they need to succeed,” said University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez. “This designation is not simply an honor — it represents the dedicated work of our entire campus community to ensure students are fully supported in pursuing their academic and personal goals. Our work to elevate outcomes for Latino and Latina students strengthens the University for everyone — building a more vibrant, accessible, and academically excellent community where we can educate engaged global citizens. I am grateful to Excelencia in Education for their work to advocate for higher education programs that support all students.”

Leaders in Excelencia’s community of common cause convened in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 30, to recognize UAlbany as one of five institutions that earned the Seal of Excelencia recertification. Five institutions also earned certification for the first time and eight institutions earned Excelencia’s new Intentionally Thriving Institution designation, which extends impact beyond the educational pathway and recognizes positive impact in preparing students for, and connecting them to, the workforce.

Building opportunities for student success at UAlbany

The three-year recertification comes as UAlbany welcomed students back to campus for the fall 2025 semester, which is 20 percent Hispanic or Latino, one of the largest in the University’s history.  

To receive recertification, the University needed to demonstrate its commitment to Latina and Latino students through programs that support intentional and effective outcomes.  

Program highlights include:

  • Collegiate Science, Technology, Entry Program (CSTEP): Due to the program's demonstrated record of success, CSTEP has been expanded over the past four years, growing the number of students approximately 46 percent, which has resulted in a 33 percent increase in Latino student program participation.
  • Educational Opportunity Program (EOP): Created over 50 years ago to support economically disadvantaged students, EOP cohorts have been over 40 percent Latino since 2016, with 46 percent of the most recent class in 2023-2024 identifying as Latino. The first-year retention rate for Latino EOP-enrolled students is 97 percent.
  • Honors College: The number of students has doubled since 2019 to 260, resulting in a 600 percent increase in Latino students with nearly 50 in 2023.
  • Guaranteed Admission Initiatives: UAlbany is working with the State University of New York system to offer guaranteed admission to the top 10 percent of graduating seniors at high schools across New York State and cultivating dual-admission agreements with four unique community colleges, including Borough of Manhattan Community College, a CUNY institution with a 36 percent Latino-student enrollment.
  • The Great Danes 101 Program: Launched in 2024, this free, semester-long, self-paced, bilingual online course is for the families of new students who want to better understand the college experience and how best to support their loved ones through the process. Over 1,300 family members have enrolled in the course to date.

Recertification celebrates campus community

An emerging Hispanic-Serving institution, UAlbany is widely considered one of the most diverse higher education institutions in New York State. The University has also been nationally recognized for the success of its students, most recently ranking No. 22 nationwide for social mobility by U. S. News & World Report.

UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez was featured in City & State’s inaugural Latino Trailblazers list, which recognized his leadership in receiving and maintaining the Seal of Excelencia designation.

The University is also home to numerous vibrant Hispanic and Latino student organizations, including Fuerza Latina, the Latino Greek Council, the Afro-Latinx, Puerto Rican, Mexican and Dominican Student Associations, and the Association of Latino Professionals for America which provides Latino and Latina UAlbany students with an extensive network of service and support.

UAlbany’s commitment to serving Latino and Latina students reflects the changing demographics of New York and the Capital Region. Latinos are among the fastest-growing populations in the Albany area, and the University continues to play an important role in the growth of this community.

Seal of Excelencia Highlights Access to Excellence  

The Seal is a rigorous, data-driven certification, not an award or ranking. Institutions earn the Seal by going beyond enrollment to intentionally serve Latino, and all, students and by taking responsibility and accountability for providing access to excellence. The Seal framework aligns data, practice and leadership to move institutions beyond isolated programs toward systemic change and investment that provides institutional value to students, their families and their communities.

“Seal of Excelencia certified institutions are investing in transformation, ensuring access to excellence, and becoming places where Latino, and all, students thrive,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education. “These institutions have made demonstrable efforts to ensure students’ return on investment in a degree while cultivating talent that fuels our country’s future.”

“Excelencia is proud to continue to catalyze and support colleges and universities that earn the Seal of Excelencia for their impact and intentional efforts to deliver on the promise of higher education for all students. Through our collaboration, we build talent for our country’s workforce and civic leadership,” said Sarita Brown, co-founder and president of Excelencia in Education.

The Seal of Excelencia framework was created in 2018 as a tool to drive excellence at institutions for Latino students, knowing that an intentional and mission-driven investment in serving Latino students would ensure that all students and their communities are served.

Learn more about institutions that earned the Seal of Excelencia certification, recertification and Intentionally Thriving Institution designation this year: EdExcelencia.org/seal/seal-excelencia-certified-institutions