Relocating to San Antonio | Relocation Resources for Moving to San Antonio

The NCES reports that more than three-quarters of private school parents are “very satisfied” with their child’s school compared with less than half of parents whose children were assigned to a public school. Parents often look to private schools as an extension of the home in promoting the values they embrace, and private schools respond. A recent NCES survey found that promoting religious/spiritual life was second only to academic excellence in the goals of private school principals.

— Fast Facts about Private Schools
According to the Council for American Private Education, these are a few facts about private schools:

One in four schools is a private school.
One child in nine attends a private school.
Private schools produce an annual savings to taxpayers estimated at more than $48 billion.
Private school students perform better than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests.
Ninety percent of private high school graduates attend college, compared to 66 percent of public high school graduates.
Private school students from low socio-economic backgrounds are more than three times more likely than comparable public school students to attain a bachelor’s degree by their mid-20s, meaning that private schools contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty for their students.
Private schools are racially, ethnically and economically diverse. Twenty-three percent of private school students are students of color, and 28 percent are from families with annual incomes under $50,000.
Private secondary school students are nearly 50 percent more likely to take AP or IB courses in science and math than public school students.
The participation of private school students in community service projects is significantly higher than their public school counterparts.

In the San Antonio area, there are more than 350 parochial and private schools from pre-K through high school, giving parents a wide selection from which to choose.

San Antonio private schools offer parents a wide range of options from parochial schools to secular schools to international schools. Some are strictly early learning while others educate children from pre-K through the eighth or 12th grades.

A few tips to know before choosing a private school in the San Antonio area include:

Parents will need to visit the campus and most likely will need to interview with the school. This will be a great opportunity for both the parents and the school to assure a good fit.
Parents will need to complete the application forms for their child to be considered a candidate.
Parents need to be prepared to have their children tested and will need to pay for those tests.
Many schools encourage a certain level of parental involvement, so parents need to clearly understand what is expected of them.

From day care facilities to high schools, San Antonio-area parents can find the solution that fits the family’s lifestyle and the individual child’s needs. The San Antonio area offers parents a wide range of options designed to fit families’ educational, moral and religious beliefs and each child’s learning aptitudes and intelligence level. With a little research, parents will find the perfect fit for the whole family.

Colleges, Universities and Adult Education
The San Antonio area boasts numerous colleges and universities that offer programs to educate and train the current and future workforce. Leading industries in the region benefit from a workforce that is educated, particularly within specialties such as technology, life-sciences and health care; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; and government.

Among recognized public universities include The University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the newly established Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Private universities include Trinity University, St. Mary’s University, University of the Incarnate Word and Wayland Baptist University.

— Concordia University Texas
Concordia University Texas offers a unique learning experience within the Accelerated Degree Program (ADP). Tailor-made for adults with busy lives, ADP courses are intensive, inspiring and designed to put each student’s professional and personal goals on the fast track. ADP graduates represent a diverse range of ages, professions, and interests. (http://adp.concordia.edu)

— Our Lady of the Lake University
While the first college program started in 1911, by 1923, Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) became the first San Antonio institution of higher education to receive regional accreditation. OLLU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. (www.ollusa.edu)

— St. Mary’s University
As San Antonio’s oldest Catholic university, St. Mary’s University is home to five schools of education: humanities and social sciences, business, science, engineering and technology, graduate and law. The university provides a Catholic education experience that evokes academic excellence while integrating liberal studies, professional preparation and ethical commitment. (www.stmarytx.edu)

— Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) has been an academic institution since 2001. Students can select from three colleges, including the education, which offers several popular degrees; business, which offers several business degrees including an MBA; and arts and sciences, which covers a variety of fields including psychology, sociology, criminology and history. (www.tamuk.edu/sanantonio)