The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

What The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley does

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university established in 2015 through the legislative merger of UT-Pan American and UT-Brownsville, operating as a component institution of The University of Texas System. The university serves the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas across six campuses (Edinburg, Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen, Starr County, and South Padre Island) and 11+ academic colleges offering programs from bachelor's through doctoral levels, including MD, PharmD, PhD, and DPM degrees. Its Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship holds AACSB International accreditation, and the institution is regionally accredited by SACSCOC. Beyond academics, UTRGV operates the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center in McAllen (opened October 2025), NCAA Division I FCS athletics as the Vaqueros, TRIO Veterans Upward Bound programs, and a Military and Veterans Success Center serving military-connected students.

The university's core technology infrastructure consists of three administrative platforms: ASSIST (a Banner-based student information system handling registration, financial aid, payment, and grades), Degree Works (web-based degree audit and planning), and Ad Astra (academic and event scheduling). The technology stack integrates with Touchnet for payments, ApplyTexas for undergraduate applications, multiple international credential evaluation services (TEC, FCSA, WES, IEE), and student engagement platforms including CampusLabs and TimelyCare for 24/7 mental health support. No public or partner-facing APIs are exposed.

UTRGV's revenue model relies on tuition and mandatory fees (subsidized by the Tuition Advantage program covering students with family AGI of $125,000 or less), State of Texas appropriations, federal grants (USDA, NSF, TRIO), and research partnerships. Named research collaborations include a $250,000 Enbridge Fueling Futures grant for carbon sequestration research, participation in the USDA $105 million screwworm Grand Challenge, and the NSF-funded $7.5M CREST-RASM AI research center with Cal Poly Pomona. Additional revenue streams include healthcare services through UT Health RGV and athletics. The marketing and distribution approach combines an official website, six social media channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), and community partnerships with K-12 districts, municipalities, and economic development organizations.

Name

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Legal name

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Website

https://utrgv.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public research university established in 2015, serving South Texas across six campuses through 11+ academic colleges offering bachelor's through doctoral programs, UT Health RGV healthcare facilities, NCAA Division I athletics, and federal research partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Public university programs
• Academic degree programs
• Healthcare professional training
• Veteran education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including in-state and out-of-state rates, plus mandatory fees. Public university funding model.
2. State Funding and Appropriations: State of Texas funding for public higher education operations and programs.
3. Federal TRIO Grants: Veterans Upward Bound program federally funded through Department of Education grant to serve Cameron and Hidalgo Counties veterans with pre-college programs.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university that delivers higher education through nine academic colleges and schools, offering associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees (including MD, PharmD, and DPM). The university also operates healthcare delivery through UT Health RGV, veteran support programs, TRIO pre-college services, NCAA Division I athletics, and economic development programs such as the Global Soft Landing Path for international companies.

Product overview

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services through multiple colleges and schools. The institution operates a platform-plus-colleges model featuring undergraduate (BA, BS, BBA, BFA, BM, BSN), graduate (MA, MBA, MS, MEd, MFA, MPA, MPAS, MSN, MSSW), and doctoral programs (MD, PharmD, PhD, DPM) across nine academic colleges: the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship (AACSB accredited), College of Education and P-16 Integration, College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Fine Arts, College of Health Professions, College of Liberal Arts, College of Sciences, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Podiatric Medicine, and School of Social Work. Student support services include the Counseling Center, Military and Veterans Success Center, U Central student service centers, and TRIO Veterans Upward Bound program. The university also operates UTRGV Athletics (Vaqueros), healthcare facilities including the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center, emergency management services (Ready UTRGV), and economic development programs such as the Global Soft Landing Path. Featured programs include the AACSB-accredited MBA, Master of Science in Computer Science, Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Translation and Interpreting, and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UT Health RGV: Healthcare brand for UTRGV's medical and health services including the Cancer and Surgery Center
• Vaqueros

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs Undergraduate degree programs (BA, BS, BBA, BFA, BM, BSN, BSW) across multiple colleges including Arts, Business, Computing & Mathematics, Education, Engineering, Health, Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences, designed for first-time freshmen, transfer students, and second-degree seekers.
• Master's Degree Programs Graduate-level master's programs including MS Computer Science, MBA (AACSB-accredited), M.Ed Special Education, MA, MFA, MPA, MPAS, MSN, MSSW, and specialized master's degrees for students pursuing advanced professional training.
• Doctoral Degree Programs Doctoral research and professional doctorate programs including MD (Medical Doctor), PharmD (Pharmacy), PhD, and DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine), with clinical training facilities in the Rio Grande Valley.
• UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center Specialized cancer and outpatient surgical care facility in McAllen, Texas, providing healthcare access and clinical research opportunities for South Texas residents, and supporting training of medical professionals locally.
• UTRGV Counseling Center Free and confidential counseling services for enrolled students addressing mental health concerns, promoting personal growth through education and outreach, with 24/7 virtual counseling via TimelyCare integration.
• Military and Veterans Success Center (MVSC) Comprehensive services for military-connected students including VA benefit certification (Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, Hazlewood Act), academic advisement, priority registration, and veteran-specific support programs at Edinburg and Brownsville locations.
• UTRGV Athletics (Vaqueros) NCAA Division I FCS athletic program featuring football, basketball, and other sports competing as the Vaqueros, with the football program posting a 9-3 record in its inaugural 2025 season.
• UTRGV Global Soft Landing Path Program Program supporting international companies from Mexico and Latin America entering the U.S. market, providing international business support, export assistance, and market entry guidance.
• UTRGV TRIO Veterans Upward Bound Federally funded pre-college program (Veterans Upward Bound) helping eligible Cameron and Hidalgo County veterans access post-secondary education, serving 125 students per county annually with free academic instruction, basic skills development, and support services.
• Tuition Advantage Program Financial aid program covering tuition and mandatory fees for students with family-adjusted gross income (AGI) of $125,000 or less.
• Ready UTRGV Emergency Management University emergency preparedness initiative providing disaster information, safety tips, shelter guidance, and community resilience resources for students, faculty and staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Football team went 9-3 in inaugural season - winningest first-year FCS team since Division I football split in 1978
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2026UTRGV is one of 40 research recipients in USDA's $105 million Grand Challenge grant program for screwworm combat research. Includes development of sterile flies, novel traps, AI wound detection, and insect-killing fungi solutions.
• City of VictoriaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Cybersecurity interlocal agreement between Victoria City Council and UTRGV for cybersecurity services and collaboration.
• PSJA Independent School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Early college model aligning workforce training with industry demand. Part of RGV Startup Week growth strategy for Rio Grande Valley featuring produce, warehousing, and manufacturing sectors.
• City of PharrminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Partnership at RGV Startup Week showcasing growth strategy and workforce pipeline. UTRGV's Global Soft Landing Path program supports international companies from Mexico and Latin America entering U.S. market.
• Cal Poly PomonaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2025Summer research exchange partnership as part of $7.5M NSF-funded Center for Research Advancement in Smart Manufacturing (CREST-RASM). UTRGV participates in research exchanges with Cal Poly Pomona's AI-focused manufacturing research hub.
• Channel4CauseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Collaboration with Channel4Cause, a New York City-based social benefit company, on World Refugee Day. UTRGV student chorus participated in 'We All Stand Together' pop song to raise awareness and funds for forcibly displaced persons.
• Global Impact InitiativeminorOthers · 19 June 2025Austin-based nonprofit assisting refugees. Proceeds from 'We All Stand Together' song sales benefit Global Impact Initiative's work with forcibly displaced persons.
• H2OceanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2025Scientific collaboration on cancer-focused oral care research. H2Ocean, a sea salt-based healthcare brand headquartered in Stuart, Florida, partnered with UTRGV for cancer-focused research on sea salt-based oral care solutions for cancer patients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The University of Texas at El Paso: UTEP is the closest peer: a Hispanic-serving, public research university on the Texas-Mexico border with comparable enrollment scale, mission focus on social mobility, and a similar mix of federal research funding. UTRGV and UTEP compete for the same federal designations, ranking positions, and South Texas / border-region identity.
• The University of Texas at San Antonio: UTSA is a fellow UT-System Hispanic-serving public research university with similar enrollment size, doctoral programs, and Carnegie classification trajectory. It competes with UTRGV for top-Texas rankings, federal research grants, and out-of-state recruitment in Texas.
• Texas A&M International University: Texas A&M International is a public university in Laredo with a comparable South Texas / Mexico-border identity, Hispanic-serving enrollment, and similar degree portfolio. It directly overlaps UTRGV's geographic service area and competes for the same regional students.
• New Mexico State University: NMSU is a public research university on the U.S.–Mexico border with a Hispanic-majority student body and similar land-grant extension mission. Comparable in scale, federal research funding profile, and regional economic-development role.
• California State Polytechnic University, Pomona: Cal Poly Pomona is a Hispanic-serving public polytechnic with STEM-focused programs and an active NSF-funded CREST center; UTRGV has an existing research-exchange partnership with Cal Poly Pomona via CREST-RASM, making it a directly comparable peer in scale, mission, and federal-research posture.

Broad incumbents

• Texas State University: Texas State is a fellow large Texas public university with comprehensive doctoral programs and a similar enrollment scale. It competes for Texas rankings, transfer students, and Austin appropriations, but is not border-region or Hispanic-serving.
• University of Houston: UH is a large Carnegie R1 public research university in Texas with comparable doctoral breadth (medicine, business, engineering) and similar federal research ambitions. It competes for top-Texas research rankings but operates in a much larger metro market.
• The University of Texas at Austin: UT Austin is the flagship of the UT System and the benchmark UTRGV is most often compared against (named alongside UTRGV as 'Most Innovative' by U.S. News 2026). It sets the ceiling for rankings and research funding in Texas but does not compete in the same geographic segment.
• Texas A&M University: Texas A&M is a fellow 'Most Innovative' honoree alongside UTRGV (U.S. News 2026) and a major land-grant R1. It shares the same tri-Texas 'top 3' positioning as UTRGV in rankings but operates at significantly larger research scale.

Regional players

• South Texas College: South Texas College is the dominant community college in the RGV, feeding transfer students directly into UTRGV. It is a key feeder/partner rather than a competitor at the baccalaureate level but competes for adult and workforce-training students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/utrgv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/utrgv
• Facebookfacebook.com/utrgv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley
• Instagraminstagram.com/utrgv

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley