The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public research university based in Edinburg, Texas, with additional campuses and sites across the Rio Grande Valley, including Brownsville. A member of the University of Texas System, it was created through the consolidation of The University of Texas at Brownsville and The University of Texas–Pan American. The university offers a broad range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, including degrees in business, engineering, health sciences, education, and the liberal arts. UTRGV also supports medical education through its School of Medicine. It primarily serves students from South Texas and the U.S.-Mexico border region and is recognized for its focus on access, affordability, and social mobility.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was officially founded in 2015 following action by the University of Texas System Board of Regents to create a new institution serving South Texas. The university emerged from the consolidation of The University of Texas at Brownsville and The University of Texas–Pan American, with the new name approved in 2013 and operations beginning on August 31, 2015. Guy Bailey became the first president of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and led the integration of campuses in Edinburg and Brownsville. From its inception, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley emphasized expanded academic offerings and the development of a medical school to address regional healthcare needs. In the years that followed, UTRGV expanded research activity, launched new graduate programs, and added intercollegiate athletics, including the introduction of a football program beginning play in 2025.