Rolling Out reports: Harold Washington College joins Excelencia elite

Why the Excelencia seal matters for Chicago students.

Some milestones arrive quietly, but this one carries a lot of weight for students on Chicago’s public campuses. A college focused on how well it serves its students has just earned a national honor that only a small circle of institutions can claim.

Harold Washington College has earned the Seal of Excelencia for the first time, the organization Excelencia in Education announced Tuesday, Oct. 27. The recognition honors schools that show steady progress in outcomes for Latine students and for students overall.

What the Seal of Excelencia recognizes

The Seal is a rigorous national certification. Colleges earn it by lining up data, practices backed by evidence and leadership strategies so that each piece points toward student success. Rather than relying on one standout program, the approach rewards systemic change and sustained investment in serving Latino students, who mirror today’s majority of nontraditional students. Serving those students well, the thinking goes, strengthens a campus for everyone.

Chicago has a second reason to celebrate. Richard J. Daley College earned recertification of the Seal the same day, a sign of continued progress. Both colleges count among the 21 colleges and universities honored in 2026.

Why the Seal of Excelencia is so exclusive

Only 55 institutions across the country have earned the Seal, which makes the club small. Together they make up less than 2 percent of colleges and universities, yet they enroll 16 percent of Latine students and graduate 18 percent of them. They also enroll and graduate 8 percent of all students nationwide.

Read the full story in Rolling Out magazine, click here or visit: https://rollingout.com/2026/10/27/harold-washington-college-seal/