Rio Grande Valley College
Pharr, TX 78577-2106
About Rio Grande Valley College
Rio Grande Valley College is a private for-profit trade school in Pharr, Texas, enrolling about 808 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. The published completion rate is about 71.68% at 150% of normal time. Student demographics in federal data include Hispanic or Latino (97.9%) and Asian (0.7%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Valley College | — | $19,500 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| Texas (state median) | $9,940 | $8,031 | 184 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Rio Grande Valley College really?
Evidence: average net price at Rio Grande Valley College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Rio Grande Valley College is $19,500.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $19,500 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $11,469 above the Texas median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $4,529 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Rio Grande Valley College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Rio Grande Valley College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
High completion indicates students finish programs at scale; it does not alone measure instructional quality or labor-market fit.
Financial profile
Avg. net price
$19,500
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $19,205 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $19,405 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $21,969 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $25,184 |
| $110,001+ | $19,851 |
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Rio Grande Valley College is known for
Top program completions
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training299
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse115
- Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide87
- Medical/Clinical Assistant64
- Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist56
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Rio Grande Valley College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Rio Grande Valley College is a good school for those looking for high program completion rates.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Rio Grande Valley College.
Campus
Location
Pharr, TX
City / state
- ZIP
- 78577-2106
- NCES locale
- Town
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is 30% above the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- Southwest
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Two-Year: Health Professions
Size
Enrollment
808
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,436
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$12,359
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 58.67%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Rio Grande Valley College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Rio Grande Valley College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Rio Grande Valley College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | — | $15,008 |
| 2014 | — | — | $18,750 |
| 2015 | — | — | $13,236 |
| 2016 | — | — | $14,762 |
| 2017 | — | — | $15,454 |
| 2018 | — | — | $20,176 |
| 2021 | — | — | $21,601 |
| 2022 | — | — | $20,524 |
| 2023 | — | — | $20,678 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Rio Grande Valley College reported total enrollment of about 808 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 17% male and 83% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Hispanic or Latino (97.9%), Asian (0.7%), and White (0.6%). About 58.67% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 59.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
100.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Rio Grande Valley College in 2024 is 808 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,436 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
69.1%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
70.41% 100% Completion Time
71.68% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 70.41% of students graduating from Rio Grande Valley College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training: 15% male / 85% female
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse: 14% male / 86% female
- Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide: 14% male / 86% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
What do Rio Grande Valley College graduates earn—and in which programs?
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Rio Grande Valley College.
Evidence Median federal loan debt: $12,359. Average net price used in cost models: $19,500.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Rio Grande Valley College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 8 programs by IPEDS completions (9 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Rio Grande Valley College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Rio Grande Valley College graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Rio Grande Valley College—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 57.5%
- Texas median 2.6 pp below median (60.1%)
- Southwest median 2.3 pp below median (59.7%)
- U.S. median 0.5 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $4,953
- Texas median 0.69× the median ($7,150)
- Southwest median 0.70× the median ($7,078)
- U.S. median 0.65× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $2,821
- Texas median 0.56× the median ($5,060)
- Southwest median 0.49× the median ($5,699)
- U.S. median 0.39× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Rio Grande Valley College at a glance
Rio Grande Valley College
Rio Grande Valley College is a private for-profit institution in Pharr, TX, classified as Special Focus Two-Year: Health Professions.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse TrainingRegistered Nursing/Registered NurseNursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide
- Largest enrollment groups
- Hispanic or Latino97.9%Asian0.7%White or Caucasian0.6%
- Opportunity College (2025)
- Higher access & higher earnings · Browse OCU directory
Schools near Rio Grande Valley College
Other campuses in Pharr, TX when available, plus nearby institutions in Texas.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Texas, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rio Grande Valley College located?
Rio Grande Valley College is located in Pharr, TX.
How much does Rio Grande Valley College cost?
Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is $19,500 in the latest College Scorecard data.
What is the student body demographics at Rio Grande Valley College?
Rio Grande Valley College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,436 students, Hispanic or Latino (97.9%), Asian (0.7%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Rio Grande Valley College?
About 59.2% of students at Rio Grande Valley College are first-generation college students.
What is the graduation rate at Rio Grande Valley College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 71.7% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Rio Grande Valley College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $12,359.
Is Rio Grande Valley College public or private?
Rio Grande Valley College is a private for-profit institution located in Pharr, TX.
Is Rio Grande Valley College an HBCU?
No. Rio Grande Valley College is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Rio Grande Valley College a tribal college?
No. Rio Grande Valley College is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Rio Grande Valley College a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
By the common federal eligibility proxy used here (≥25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard), yes—Rio Grande Valley College reports 97.9% Hispanic enrollment share.
Is Rio Grande Valley College religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for Rio Grande Valley College in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.