Trinity University is a private liberal arts university in San Antonio, Texas, distinctive for pairing a traditional liberal arts core with an AACSB-accredited business school (the Michael Neidorff School of Business) and an ABET-accredited engineering science program — a combination almost no other school its size offers. With about 2,500 undergraduates on a 125-acre National Historic District hilltop campus of O'Neil Ford red-brick buildings, Trinity emphasizes undergraduate research, close faculty mentorship, and strong pipelines into Texas business, law, and medicine.
Mascot: Tiger
Notable Alumni
John Cornyn (U.S. Senator from Texas)•Sardar Biglari (chairman and CEO of Biglari Holdings)•Kit Goldsbury (Pace Foods chairman and NatureSweet founder)
At a Glance
Cost
Published sticker prices for 2025-2026. Actual cost after aid varies.
Top Programs & National Ranking
Approximate national ranking based on departmental rankings, research output, and program reputation.
Highlights
Campus Experience
Trinity has local Greek organizations (not national chapters) that pull in roughly a quarter of students — fraternities and sororities host events in campus residential quads rather than off-campus houses, which keeps the social scene unusually contained. Academic intensity is real, especially in the sciences and the Neidorff business programs, and the small size (~2,500 undergrads) means professors know your name. San Antonio's River Walk, Pearl District, and Mission Reach are 10-15 minutes from campus and anchor weekend life.
Trinity's hilltop campus holds the world's largest concentration of buildings by Texas modernist O'Neil Ford — rosy Roman-brick dormitories stepping down a former limestone quarry, crowned by the 166-foot Murchison Tower lit nightly since 2002. A 2018 National Historic District designation and more than 1,300 mature trees give the campus a quietly spectacular, almost Italian-hill-town feel rare among American universities.
Based on Niche reviews, Princeton Review surveys, student forums, and institutional data.
Safety
Trinity University Police Department provides 24/7 patrols on the self-contained 125-acre hilltop campus, with blue-light emergency phones and an after-dark escort service. Most reported incidents are property-related (bike theft, auto break-ins on campus edges); violent crime on campus is rare.
Trinity sits in the Monte Vista Historic District, a leafy and relatively safe residential neighborhood adjacent to Brackenridge Park and the San Antonio Zoo. San Antonio's overall property crime rate runs above the national average, and students are advised not to walk alone into adjacent commercial corridors at night.
Based on Clery Act data, student surveys, and local crime statistics.
Plan Your Visit
Schedule: Weekdays throughout the academic year; select Saturday visits during peak season
Duration: ~2 hours (info session + student-led walking tour)
Tours depart from the Welcome Center in Northrup Hall. Register in advance via the admissions portal. Group visits (10+) and virtual tours also offered, including department-specific sessions for business and engineering science prospects.
Book a TourSelf-guided tour route and printable map available from the admissions office. The compact hilltop campus is fully walkable in about an hour.
Tour ResourcesOctober through early December or late February through April (San Antonio winters are mild and campus is in full swing). Avoid June through August — temperatures regularly exceed 95°F with intense sun on the hilltop, and summer enrollment is thin. Fiesta San Antonio in late April is the city's signature celebration and pairs beautifully with a campus visit.
Visitor parking at the Coates University Center garage and the Stadium Drive lot; check in for a permit at the Welcome Center in Northrup Hall. Trinity is 10 minutes north of downtown via US-281. From San Antonio International (SAT, 10 min): US-281 south to the Mulberry Avenue exit. VIA Metropolitan Transit routes 2 and 4 stop near campus, but San Antonio is car-dominant and rideshare is the practical choice for most visitors.
Location
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