The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX 78539-2999
About The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public research university in Edinburg, Texas, enrolling about 28,666 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 94.19% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $49,620 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley charges about 1.8× the national public median tuition ($9,987).
- Versus the Texas median, sticker tuition is at.
- Average net price runs below the Texas median net price.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 50.90%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $49,620.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is about 52% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $9,987; average net price is $4,831 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 2468% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 99 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $9,987 | $4,831 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| Texas (state median) | $9,940 | $8,031 | 184 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| 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.
Average net price is 52% below published tuition at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Key findings
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's average net price ($4,831) is 52% below published tuition ($9,987).
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley charges about 1.8× the national public median tuition ($9,987).
- Versus the Texas median, sticker tuition is at.
- Average net price runs below the Texas median net price.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $9,987
Finding The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley charges about 1.8× the national public median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $9,987. That is about 1.8× the national public median ($5,512). Versus the Texas median ($9,940), sticker tuition is at. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 16% below.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $4,831.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $4,831 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $3,200 below the Texas median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $13,217 below 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.
Key takeaway The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 52% lower after grants and scholarships.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
In-state tuition
$9,987
Out-of-state tuition
$19,827
Avg. net price
$4,831
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $3,785 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $3,877 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $5,665 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $7,972 |
| $110,001+ | $13,782 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $39,948. See cost investigation.
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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is known for
Top program completions
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration494
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General481
- Psychology, General478
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other372
- Business Administration and Management, General353
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 49% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 985
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 52% lower in this extract).
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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Campus
Location
Edinburg, TX
City / state
- ZIP
- 78539-2999
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is about 0.3× the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Southwest
- Carnegie
- Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity
Size
Enrollment
28,666
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 32,649
- Graduate
- 5,207
- Full-time share
- 75%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$12,950
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 65.08%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 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 | $5,173 | $13,669 | $2,431 |
| 2014 | $5,173 | $14,023 | $2,840 |
| 2015 | $7,292 | $16,652 | $4,250 |
| 2016 | $7,438 | $17,230 | $4,192 |
| 2017 | $7,587 | $17,547 | $3,901 |
| 2018 | $7,813 | $17,773 | $4,166 |
| 2019 | $8,132 | $18,260 | $4,514 |
| 2020 | $8,917 | $18,733 | $3,743 |
| 2021 | $9,541 | $19,333 | $5,363 |
| 2022 | $9,538 | $19,333 | $7,007 |
| 2023 | $9,859 | $19,939 | $6,500 |
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
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 985 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.20
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reported total enrollment of about 28,666 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 43% male and 57% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Hispanic or Latino (93.2%), White (2.0%), and Non-Resident Alien (1.8%). About 65.08% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 52.6% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
74.7% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2024 is 28,666 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 32,649 students. Graduate enrollment is about 5,207 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
81.1%
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
31.47% 100% Completion Time
50.90% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 31.47% of students graduating from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration: 43% male / 57% female
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General: 35% male / 65% female
- Psychology, General: 17% male / 83% 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.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley graduates earn a median of $49,620 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $49,620. Median federal loan debt: $12,950. Average net price used in cost models: $4,831.
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.
Key takeaway The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley graduates report median earnings of $49,620 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (99 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$133.9M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Texas median 3.7× the median ($35.8M)
- Southwest median 5.8× the median ($23.2M)
- U.S. median 5.1× the median ($26.4M)
- Texas median 0.37× the median ($13,085)
- Southwest median 0.48× the median ($10,113)
- U.S. median 0.40× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 83.7%
- Texas median 23.7 pp above median (60.1%)
- Southwest median 24.0 pp above median (59.7%)
- U.S. median 25.8 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $9,041
- Texas median 1.3× the median ($7,150)
- Southwest median 1.3× the median ($7,078)
- U.S. median 1.2× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $8,787
- Texas median 1.7× the median ($5,060)
- Southwest median 1.5× the median ($5,699)
- U.S. median 1.2× 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.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at a glance
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution in Edinburg, TX, classified as Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement AdministrationBiology/Biological Sciences, GeneralPsychology, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- Hispanic or Latino93.2%White or Caucasian2.0%Non-Resident Alien1.8%
- Opportunity College (2025)
- Higher access & higher earnings · Browse OCU directory
Schools near The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Other campuses in Edinburg, 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley located?
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, TX.
What is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is 94.2% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 13,542 applicants and 11,486 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's tuition?
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $9,987 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $4,831 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley cost?
Reported tuition is $9,987 and average net price is $4,831 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $9,728 annually.
Why is The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's net price so much lower than tuition?
At The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, published tuition is $9,987 while average net price is $4,831—about 52% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($4,831), completion (50.9% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($49,620). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley?
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reports undergraduate enrollment of about 32,649 students, Hispanic or Latino (93.2%), White (2.0%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley?
About 52.6% of students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley reports midpoint SAT about 985.
What do graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earn?
Median earnings are $35,812 six years after entry and $49,620 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley?
The 150%-time completion rate is 50.9% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $12,950.
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.