RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been ranked 19th among the top 25 public universities for affordability in online master’s degrees, by bestmastersprograms.org.

The ranking are calculated according to average cost, academic quality and alumni salary data.

“Students can choose a full access online program track for a traditional 16-week semester or a tremendous variety of affordable master’s degrees on the accelerated track covering seven weeks,” the website says. “The UTRGV credit hour fees are guaranteed to remain constant for the four years following the student’s start date.” 

Dr. Parwinder Grewal, executive vice president of Research, Graduate Studies and New Program Development and who currently serves as interim dean of the Graduate College, said there are many benefits to earning a graduate degree at the UTRGV Graduate College. 

“We have several programs that have been rated nationally,” he said. “These rankings tell people we have high-quality programs.”

Grewal credits low tuition rates, quality education, and an inclusive and rolling admission approach, in addition to scholarships, for the increase in graduate program recognition.

“Our goal is to increase our online education substantially in the next four or five years,” he said. “This semester alone, we have had a 26 percent increase in enrollment. That means people want graduate programs, and we are opening all kinds of doors for them to attend.”

UTRGV currently offers 18 online graduate certificates and degrees and offers 20 accelerated online degrees across various areas of study, with no application fee.

For more information about online graduate programs, visit the UTRGV Graduate Programs page or call (956) 665-3661.

RANKING METHODOLOGY

Bestmastersprograms.org develops master’s degree program ranks through information from reputable sources, the National Center for Education Statistics being one of them. Factors such as retention and graduation rates, tuition costs, financial aid availability and student satisfaction are considered when creating these lists.

ABOUT UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.

UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.