More selective than 19% of Texas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $16,830. College Scorecard.
Higher than 62% of Texas colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 41% of Texas colleges we cover and 40% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UTRGV acceptance rate & admissions
Of 13,542 applicants, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley admitted 11,486 and 5,634 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1090 on the SAT or 15–21 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UTRGV tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Texas residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Texas residents with financial need may receive a TEXAS Grant at Texas public universities; amounts are set each year and vary by college. Not included in the prices above. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (College for All Texans)
What UTRGV costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Texas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $3,785 | $17,108 | 1.1 years |
| $30–48k | $3,877 | $17,524 | 1.1 years |
| $48–75k | $5,665 | $25,606 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $7,972 | $36,033 | 2.2 years |
| $110k+ | $13,782 | $62,295 | 3.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (29% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($49,620) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,104 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
UTRGV majors, earnings & careers
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers 66 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Engineering · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at UTRGV
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $88,067 | $11,674 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $87,991 | $15,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $85,971 | $19,250 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $80,857 | $16,043 |
| Computer Engineering | $77,097 | $16,055 |
| Civil Engineering | $71,848 | $11,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $63,426 | $13,825 |
| Mathematics | $60,645 | $12,225 |
Quick list of all 66 majors
- Accounting$53,420
- Agricultural Production Operations—
- American Sign Language—
- Anthropology$34,505
- Biology$47,954
- Business Administration$49,595
- Chemistry$57,100
- Civil Engineering$71,848
- Communications$39,940
- Computational Science—
- Computer and Information Sciences$80,857
- Computer Engineering$77,097
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice$49,979
- Dance—
- Dietetics—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$56,369
- Electrical Engineering$85,971
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English$45,746
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$50,156
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences$59,794
- History$50,620
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Development and Family Studies$43,699
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business$47,431
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,769
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,060
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$40,147
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Marketing$45,859
- Mathematics$60,645
- Mechanical Engineering$87,991
- Medical Laboratory Science$63,426
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$56,493
- Music$59,218
- Nursing$88,067
- Nutrition Science—
- Philosophy$33,457
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Political Science$44,895
- Psychology$40,140
- Public Administration—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$44,201
- Social Sciences$59,440
- Social Work$50,073
- Sociology$57,807
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$42,224
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$59,624
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$35,115
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre$38,865
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in McAllen
Overall prices in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,017. Housing costs 44% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 24 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Hidalgo County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hidalgo County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UTRGV with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Texas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 94% | $4,831 | 51% | $49,620 | This school |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | 87% | $10,836 | 53% | $57,131 | |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | 100% | $9,403 | 50% | $50,923 | |
| Texas State University | 89% | $16,805 | 55% | $56,906 | |
| Sam Houston State University | 90% | $16,404 | 55% | $54,211 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley would cost you $6,005 less per year than The University of Texas at San Antonio, on average.
- Lower sticker price at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, mostly from more The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley students living at home, which lowers its average (−$5,341).
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley gives aided families $483 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | UTRGV | UTSA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,987 | $9,011 | +$976 |
| Books & supplies | $1,190 | $1,000 | +$190 |
| Housing & meals | $9,662 | $11,843 | −$2,181 |
| Personal & travel | $3,766 | $2,932 | +$834 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$7,775 | −$2,434 | −$5,341 |
| Sticker price | $16,830 | $22,352 | −$5,522 |
| Average grants | −$11,999 | −$11,516 | −$483 |
| You pay | $4,831 | $10,836 | −$6,005 |
“+” means UTRGV costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about UTRGV
What is the UTRGV acceptance rate?
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley accepts 94% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 11,486 of 13,542 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1090 on the SAT or 15–21 on the ACT.
How much does The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $16,830 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $4,831 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $3,785 and families earning $110k+ pay $13,782.
How much do UTRGV graduates earn?
Former The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley students earn a median $49,620 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UTRGV graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for their second year.
How long does a UTRGV degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley costs about $25,606 after grants ($5,665 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,620 ten years after starting, $16,104 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 1.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).