25th Anniversary
In 2020, Northwest Vista College Celebrated 25 Years of Education, Engagement and Experience in Far West San Antonio
San Antonio, TX – Throughout the year, Northwest Vista College (NVC), one of the Alamo District Colleges, is celebrating 25 years of providing education, engagement, and experience along the HWY 151 corridor in the scenic Westover Hills area in Far West San Antonio.
Over the past 25 years, NVC, which held its first classes in 1995 with 12 students, has grown to 16,752 students in 2018 and has graduated thousands of students with associate degrees, associate of applied science degrees and certificates. The Desert Willow Welcome Center and Texas Ash Parking Garage, opening in 2020, will house advising, enrollment, and all student services, This additional construction will help NVC accommodate 20,000 students.
In its two and a half decades, NVC has been honored for its commitment to student learning, advising, and the preservation of campus nature, along with regional and national top rankings by Best Colleges.com and Niche.com. The college received the Texas Award for Performance Excellence in 2007 for “role models for achieving sustained performance excellence,” and was a part of the Alamo Colleges District that won the 2018 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—a presidential-level honor that is the most prestigious honor a higher education institution can achieve for performance excellence in innovation, efficiency, and leadership.
NVC was most recently one of the 150 colleges eligible for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the country’s signature recognition of top achievement and performance in learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings as well as high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students. The college has again been invited to apply for the 2021 award.
It all began in 1994 when World Savings donated 111.9 acres and the Alamo Colleges District purchased 25.5 acres for $217,000. A year later, the Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the fourth college and later approved the name, chosen from 258 ideas submitted by community residents. The first phase of construction of the current NVC campus began the following year.
By the first commencement ceremony, held in 1998 at the University of Incarnate Word, there were 20 graduates and enrollment had increased to more than 1,500.
NVC went from having three buildings in 1998 to having 11 in 2009, as the college expanded to include more classrooms and a lake in the middle of campus. When the modern two-story 50,000-square-foot Desert Willow Welcome Center and Texas Ash Parking Garage opens this spring, the campus will have its twelfth building and second parking garage.
NVC continues to grow and serve our students and community through innovative college practices, such as providing free education to many area high school graduates through AlamoPROMISE, an Alamo Colleges District initiative.
About Northwest Vista College: Alamo Colleges - Northwest Vista College opened in 1995 with 12 students. Currently, enrollment exceeds 16,000 students who are pursuing associate degrees and certificates, as well as transferring to four-year institutions. Located in Westover Hills, Northwest Vista College’s expanding agreements with business and higher education partnerships provide a wealth of opportunities for students and the community.
Schedule of Events
For more information on logo & guidelines please contact Lisa McDaniel: 210-486-687