•AVERAGE: 69
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is the newest member of the national and international research powerhouse University of Texas system, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a long heritage of excellence. UTRGV was founded in 2013, not out of thin air, but from the merger of UT Brownsville, UT Pan-American, and the UT Regional Academic Health Center, bringing together three older institutions to better reach the growing border population. It was a big bet on Texas’ future, and a continuous line through Texas’ path, and it appears to be paying off as UTRGV wins one accolade after another.
Academic Programs
In addition to merging three border-region schools, UTRGV opened a new medical school which is already beginning to have impact on the healthcare system in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond. The School of Medicine features a cutting-edge teaching hospital and a multidisciplinary, collaborative curriculum focused on preparing doctors and nurses for a rapidly-changing healthcare landscape. UTRGV offers more than 120 degree programs, and while every discipline and field is represented, the school’s top-notch STEM programs get special attention, dedicated as they are to providing Hispanic students entry into a discipline in which they have most often been left underrepresented.The region around Brownsville is quickly becoming a recognized hub for technology, as the center of the SpaceX operation, and the booming population of the border region is driving growth in industry, especially technology. UTRGV is helping drive that development, too, with research centers such as the Center for Biomedical Studies and the Coastal Studies Lab. By bringing the highest quality STEM education to a growing and ambitious region, UT Rio Grande Valley is building a reciprocal relationship that will see the Rio Grande Valley turn into a destination for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Student Life
UT Rio Grande Valley is one of the most unique institutions in the nation. With a 90% Hispanic student body, UTRGV is proud to call themselves “Bilingual, Bicultural, and Biliterate,” designing a curriculum around the particular motivations and ambitions of their students. Cultural fluency and cultural exchange are central to UTRGV, as well as tolerance and understanding across cultures. Student life at UT Rio Grande Valley is rich and expressive, characterized by community, collaboration, and communication.With its location in one of the most neglected regions of Texas, UTRGV is also deeply committed to social good and community engagement. College Access Outreach Programs are dedicated to bringing higher education opportunities to the underserved people in the Brownsville, Edinburg, and other areas in the valley region, while other programs at UTRGV take part in providing healthcare, improving elementary and secondary education, and encouraging entrepreneurship in the community. Students are frequently engaged in these activities alongside faculty and staff, making service learning part of UTRGV’s core.