,·Private (nonprofit)·Est. 1895
“Private Catholic university in San Antonio; home to Texas's oldest Social Work school, founded 1895.”
Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) is a private Catholic university founded in 1895 by the Congregation of Divine Providence on a 75-acre lakeside campus on the west side of San Antonio, Texas. OLLU is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution where more than two-thirds of students identify as Hispanic, and it is widely known as one of the most bilingual-friendly campuses in the country. The university frames its mission around Catholic social teaching, service to the community, and educating first-generation students who have historically been underserved by higher education. Academically, OLLU is organized around five schools that grant more than 30 undergraduate majors plus master's and doctoral degrees, delivered on weekdays, evenings, weekends and online. Its Worden School of Social Service is the oldest school of social work in Texas and anchors OLLU's national reputation in social work, counseling and psychology; the university is also strong in communication sciences and disorders, education, business, and nursing. Many undergraduate programs offer a dual-language (English and Spanish) certification track, reflecting OLLU's investment in preparing bilingual professionals for the Texas and national workforce. Student life centers on a tight-knit, service-oriented community of about 2,900 students. The compact campus along Elmendorf Lake features the historic Sacred Heart Chapel, the Center for Women in Church and Society, and competitive NAIA athletics under the Saints banner. Students take advantage of downtown San Antonio just a short drive away, with internships and placements across the city's major health, education, and public service employers.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Worden School of Social Service
Wikipedia
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceFall (International, First-time)
Priority date; acceptance not guaranteed after this date
Fall (International, Transfer)
Priority date
Spring (International)
Priority date for both first-time and transfer
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$32,106
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
The oldest school of social work in Texas, offering BSW, MSW and PhD programs with a strong community-practice and bilingual-service emphasis.
Offers programs in management, accounting, finance, marketing and organizational leadership with an emphasis on ethical and service-oriented business practice.
Houses teacher preparation, counseling and communication sciences programs, including OLLU's well-known speech-language pathology and bilingual education tracks.
Covers the liberal arts core plus computer information systems and security, biology, Mexican American studies and professional writing.
Focused on adult and online learners, offering kinesiology, criminology and organizational leadership programs aligned with workforce demand.
4 years
Anchored in the 90-year-old Worden School, OLLU's BSW is Texas' oldest CSWE-accredited social work program, with a bilingual Spanish-English practice option and direct entry into its advanced-standing MSW.
6 years
A pathway program that takes students from a BA in Communication Sciences to a clinically accredited MS in Speech-Language Pathology, one of the few bilingual SLP tracks in the US.
4 years
STEM-designated program blending programming, networking, and cybersecurity with cloud and data coursework; popular with international students for potential 24-month STEM OPT eligibility.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $32,106
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
