Situated in the Rio Grand Valley ten miles north of the US/Mexico Border, the University of Texas Pan American was founded in 1927 and is situated on a beautiful 186-acre campus. The school offers nearly 60 each bachelor’s and master’s degrees in addition to a handful of doctoral and cooperative doctoral degrees within seven colleges.
| Overall Score (about) | 83.7 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $20,471 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| ACT / SAT 75%ile scores | 22 / 1120 |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 18 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 76% / 61% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 28,644 |
The University of Texas Pan American offers a wide choice of class options for many different types of students. There are a multitude of program choices for both graduate and undergraduates offered via seven different colleges as well as a few different programs designed for high school students. Not only are the programs designed for students of all ages seeking different educational opportunities, the university offers courses traditionally, online and via tele-courses.
UTPA also has an excellent study abroad program that promotes study via programs in Canada, France, Europe, Germany and China. There is also an international exchange program in place with partner institutions in Peru, England, Turkey, Columbia, Finland, Korea, Taiwan, Spain and France. There is also an impressive array of scholarships offered to students interested in participating in a summer or semester of study abroad.
Students interested in attending UTPA need to complete the application online and submit high school transcripts that indicate that the student completed the minimum requirements of the Recommended High School Program. Additional information that must be submitted includes ACT/SAT scores.
Students that graduate from a Texas high school in the top 10% of their graduating class will qualify for automatic admission. Students who don’t qualify automatically but meet a combination of minimum test scores, curriculum requirements and class rank may be considered by the Admissions Review Program.
If selected for review, students must submit a Personal Letter of Appeal, a resume, and letters of recommendation. Students must also submit Texas Success Initiative Scores unless they have scored high enough on the SAT to earn an exemption.
Applicants considered during the review process will be selected based on a set of holistic criteria that includes the academic record, extracurricular activities, work related activities, leadership roles, community activities, performance level of the high school and any college credits earned.
All freshmen are required to complete an online student orientation upon acceptance. Transfer and international students have different application requirements and should work closely with the University of Texas Pan American in order to ensure a complete application packet is submitted.
Each graduate program at UTPA develops their own admissions standards and requirements but minimum requirements include the application and fee, official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate facilities attended and appropriate graduate school admissions testing. In order to determine exact application requirements, interested students should work closely with their program of choice.
As with undergraduate admissions, there may be separate application requirements for transfer and international students depending on the program.
The University of Texas Pan American offers financial aid in the form of need-based and merit-based scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs. Financial aid is available for undergraduate students, graduate students and students wishing to study abroad. Students wishing to apply for aid have to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that is available online starting in January.
In addition to standard student aid options, UTPA has many scholarships offered specifically to UTPA students that are sponsored by the university and the local community.
The school offers numerous sports and fitness activities including NCAA Division I teams, club and intramural sports and a vast wellness and recreation complex that offers opportunities for students interested in just about any form of indoor or outdoor recreation.
The UTPA Broncs is an NCAA Division I Athletics organization that offers several different intercollegiate sports including men’s and women’s golf, basketball, cross country, tennis and track and field. Men may also choose to play baseball and women have the additional option of volleyball. The team’s colors are green and orange.
In addition to intercollegiate sports, UTPA also offers club sports including swimming, triathlon, hockey, cycling and wresting. There are also intramural sports including kickball, badminton, softball, flag football, racketball, table tennis, handball and tennis. This is only a partial list of sports that are offered, and new teams are encouraged.
The University of Texas Pan American also has an extensive Wellness and Recreation Sports Complex that includes a weight training area 1/10 mile track with stability balls and warm-up area, racquetball courts, an indoor climbing facility and a gymnasium so large that it includes two basketball courts and an indoor soccer court. In addition, there’s a dance and activities room and an aquatics facility that includes a lap pool, a leisure pool, a lazy river and a jacuzzi.
Some interesting UTPA traditions include the following:
Midnight madness is the culmination of Spirit Week, a traditional celebration highlighting Bronc pride that officially kicks off basketball season.
Carnival of the Great Pumpkin is a Halloween celebration that includes games, food and fun contests. It’s open to all students, faculty, staff and the local community. It’s been a tradition since 1966.
Homecoming is a week-long celebration that culminates in a men’s basketball game. Students, alumni, staff, faculty and the local community enjoy such events as The Battle of The Bands, Broncs Olympics, Yard Art and the burning of the UTPA letters.
The one ton statue, the Bronz Bronc, is situated on the front lawn of the University and was named one of the top 10 most famous western horse statues by Cowboy & Indian magazine.
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