News Release | Awards & Grants
The Chronicle of Higher Education recently released the Fall 2023 issue of the Almanac of Higher Education 2023, where for the sixth year in a row, UTRGV is ranked as one of the top 10 fastest-growing public doctoral institutions in the United States.
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Around Campus
By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 24, 2023 – The Chronicle of Higher Education recently released the Fall 2023 issue of the Almanac of Higher Education 2023, where for the sixth year in a row, UTRGV is ranked as one of the top 10 fastest-growing public doctoral institutions in the United States.
The latest rankings in the almanac reflect the overall enrollment during the decade of 2011-2021.
While the nation’s overall enrollment declined during that period, UTRGV surged and was ranked as the third-fastest growing institution in the country and first in Texas, with a Fall 2021 enrollment of 31,940 – a 67.8 percent increase from 2011.
UTRGV President Guy Bailey said the steady growth and development reflects the university’s commitment to provide a high-quality and affordable experience.
(Illustrations by UTRGV Creative Services)
“We know how important it is for our families to provide every opportunity they can for their children,” Bailey said. “To that end, we have made it highly affordable to study at UTRGV, and we have created versatile curricula and practical networking paths that prepare our students for their career of choice, for their future, and for the future of Texas.”
EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Bailey said UTRGV’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for students also has helped spur enrollment growth – now and for the future. Since opening in 2015, the university has created 43 new degree programs and certificates, with many more in the development stage.
Most recently, UTRGV has increased its doctoral offerings. In UTRGV’s inaugural year, the university had four doctoral programs. Now, it has 13 programs, including seventh that started over the past two years. Five additional doctoral programs are currently under development.
“It is important for us to offer new programs at every level — undergraduate, master’s and doctoral,” Bailey said. “Our goal is to keep our brightest and most talented students in the Valley, and the expansion of our academic offerings are providing opportunities that were previously unavailable.”
MORE ON THE RANKINGS
The University of Texas System had four of the nation’s top 10 fastest-growing public doctoral institutions.
Here are the top 10:
Numbers and information can be found within the Chronicle of Higher Education’s latest issue, here.
ABOUT THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
The Chronicle of Higher Education has the nation’s largest newsroom dedicated to covering colleges and universities. As the unrivaled leader in higher education journalism, they serve their readers with indispensable real-time news and deep insights, plus the essential tools, career opportunities, and knowledge to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
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.